Form Your Business in 3 Stages — ZenBusiness → Uni → Nav Prime
The C3 formation flow is sequenced — form the entity, then build banking + EIN credibility, then open the first business credit tradeline. Each step unlocks the next. Done in this order, your business is funding-ready inside 30 days.
- LLC filing in your state
- EIN application included
- Registered agent (year 1 free)
- Operating agreement template
- Business checking account
- Real business address (not PO Box)
- 411 listing for phone
- Domain + business email
- Reports to D&B, Experian Biz, Equifax Biz
- Monitors FICO SBSS score
- Shows business credit pulls
- First reportable tradeline
Each Stage Unlocks the Next
Until your LLC is filed and the EIN issued, nothing else can be opened in the business's name. ZenBusiness is the cheapest reliable formation service ($0 base + state fee) with a no-nonsense flow.
- Cost: $0 base plan + state filing fee (varies $50–$520)
- Time: 2–5 business days for formation, 1 day for EIN after
- Includes: Articles of Organization, EIN, registered agent year 1, operating agreement template
- Don't skip: get the operating agreement and store it with the EIN letter — banks require both
Once formed, your business needs to look real to lenders. Uni handles the credibility stack: dedicated business banking, a real street address, 411-listed phone, branded email.
- Why a real address matters: D&B and the IRS both reject PO Box addresses for business credit accounts
- 411 listing: the bureaus and lenders cross-check your business in 411 — if you're not listed, you fail credibility
- Business email: applications submitted from gmail.com look amateur. yourname@yourdomain.com signals legitimacy
- Banking: opening business checking is required for every Net 30 vendor and every business card application
With banking and EIN in place, you can finally start building the business credit file. Nav Prime is the fastest path: one subscription, three bureau tradelines, FICO SBSS score monitoring.
- Reports to: Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, Equifax Business
- Tradeline: the subscription itself reports as a paying account — instant credit file
- Monitoring: see your D&B PAYDEX, Experian Biz Intelliscore, Equifax Biz score in one dashboard
- FICO SBSS: the small-business score lenders and the SBA use for business funding approvals
- Cost: $49.99/month — most expensive piece, but it's the foundation of every future approval
Once your business is formed, banked, and on Nav Prime, you're ready for the funding playbooks: stacking lenders, seasoning banks, and applying for your first business credit cards.
View Funding Playbooks →