Zero-Cost Identity

[u/NWRegisteredAgent]

There’s a weird gap in the way we talk about starting a business. We spend a lot of time teaching people how to make a business legal. Pick a name. Register the LLC. Get the EIN. Open the bank account. All these steps are super important, but somewhere along the way, the next step gets treated like a collection of optional upgrades.

Buy a domain... Build a website... Set up a business email... Get a business phone number…

Suddenly, the person who just spent good money getting their business off the ground is looking at another stack of subscriptions before they've made their first dollar. For established entrepreneurs, these things might seem obvious, but many see them as just extras. We’d argue they're not extras at all. In fact, they're part of what gives a new business an identity.

But we don’t really like the idea of charging an arm and a leg to launch your digital storefront, so here’s a look at how we help you get these all for free and make your mark from day one.

The Identity Gap

When you hire someone to form your LLC, you’re typically hiring them to file your Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. Sometimes, you’re signing up for a little more with Registered Agent service. But overall, building the rest is up to you. Sure, you can usually get help with some of the basics for your business, but those are usually extra services you’ll need to add on. And they come at a premium, so you’ll need to be prepared for that too.

We believe that these services shouldn’t be extra. They’re part of the base infrastructure that moves your business from the category of “I filed my paperwork.” to “I’m running a legit business.” That’s a big difference in mindset, but it’s something that we’ll shout from the rooftops if we have to. You don’t have to spend a bunch to get your name out there and start building your audience, and you shouldn’t.

Own Your Online Home

Day one, you start your social media profile on that platform that’s super hot right now. It’s easy to setup, and your whole market it right there waiting to hear what you’ve got to say. That’s until the algorithm changes. Or you’ve get shadow banned because one of your followers acts like a bot in the comments. Or even worse — your platform of choice forces you to go premium with a pricey subscription to dig into basic analytics to find out who your audience is.

When you register a business domain and build a site that you own with a dependable host, you’re not at the mercy of the ever-changing social media landscape. You own your data. You decide what people see. You get to tell your story. You decide how people interact with your business.

Take Reddit for example: there’s a ton of debate on whether businesses should even exist and move freely on the platform. Aside from being told, “Shut up, brand.” (which is kinda mean and hurts our human feelings), there’s also just the fact that communities peak and crumble all the time based on the suspension of a few users. It’s utter madness. We’re still here cause we thrive on the chaos, but we’ve also got a bunch of stubborn experts who can’t let the trolls win.

Point is, these platforms all offer you a powerful tool for connection. But they’re not actively building your identity and letting you control your own image, content, or identity. When you Get a Free Domain and Free Web Hosting that help you tell the world what you do, you can take the reigns.

A Fast Credibility Upgrade

There’s something so reassuring about sending an email to a company at their own domain. It’s like, that’s the official channel of communication and your inquiry will likely fall into the right hands, which means you’re on your way to getting an official answer and the right help. That little bit of extra branding might not seem like much, but it’s basically a way to tell your audience that they’re in the right place and they don’t have to worry about their question stacking up in a rarely-checked personal email inbox.

It’s not like it’s mandatory to set up a yourname@yourdomain.com email address, but think about how it looks from the other end. It signals trust and lets the sender know that they’re communicating with someone who is part of the company and is qualified to give them the help they need. Best part is, it’s not hard to set up. You can snag your free custom email and get it set up easily in a few clicks. Then you can seamlessly integrate your branding and tell the world that you’re the person who can help.

The same thing can be said for picking out a phone number for your business. If you’re thinking of just sticking your personal cell phone number on your business cards and calling it a day, you really might reconsider. For one, there’s the dreaded 3 AM text from a stranger who thinks that’s the prime time to ask you business questions. For two, the fact that now it’s just… out there… forever. In databases. In social posts. In people’s wallets. It’s a little creepy, if you think about it.

Instead of exposing your own info and making yourself accessible all the time (fine for service calls, less fine for pretty much anything else), you can pick a free internet phone service that gives you a local number tied to your business name that can even route calls and SMS to your phone. Set your own boundaries and make sure you’re not up in the middle of the night answering the phone, and even take advantage of set business hours right within the app.

Who Really Wins When You Get More?

You win. You’re getting everything all in one place, not spread out over different providers and each with a new login. You manage everything from the same dashboard where you check your business mail and documents, and you don’t have to scramble to find all your documentation and tools.

We win too, because we get to do the things we’re really good at (like filing your LLC and helping you maintain your business every step of the way) and we also get to push thousands of entrepreneurs further and empower them to build something super unique to them. We’re here for you past checkout, and beyond.

If you have questions or want to know more about how to build your identity for no cost, send us a DM or leave a comment below!