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Affiliate disclosure.

founderessentials.com participates in affiliate marketing programs. When you click on a link to a third-party product or service and complete a qualifying action — usually signing up for an account or making a purchase — we may earn a commission, at no additional cost to you.

Programs we currently affiliate with

  • Banking: Mercury, Bluevine, Relay
  • Registered agent / formation: Northwest Registered Agent, ZenBusiness, doola, Bizee
  • Payroll & HR: Gusto
  • Bookkeeping & accounting: Bench, Pilot, 1-800Accountant
  • Business phone: OpenPhone
  • Software & ecommerce: Shopify, Klaviyo, Semrush
  • Insurance: Hiscox, NEXT Insurance (where applicable)

This list updates as we add new programs. Where a recommended service does not have an affiliate program — Found, Chase Business, Bank of America Business, the Florida regional banks, the IRS — we receive no compensation for the recommendation.

How affiliate compensation affects content

To keep this disclosure honest:

  • Recommendations are based on our actual assessment. When a non-affiliate service is the right pick (Found for solo freelancers, Chase Business for cash-heavy LLCs, going directly to the IRS for an EIN), we recommend the non-affiliate option and earn no commission for that traffic.
  • Comparisons are written with real tradeoffs. If a service has a weakness — Mercury doesn't take cash, Bizee upsells aggressively, LegalZoom is overpriced for what it is — we write about the weakness.
  • Content updates when programs change. If an affiliate program ends, the recommendation persists or changes based on the underlying merit of the product, not the commission.

Federal Trade Commission compliance

This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR § 255 — Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Any link on this site that earns commission is also flagged in-context as an affiliate link wherever practical.

Questions

If you have questions about our relationship with any of the services recommended on this site, contact us. We're happy to answer directly.

Last updated: May 2026