Onboarding a Registered Agent Client
The client-facing side of bringing on a new RA client. This is what the client experiences. See Service Setup for the internal workflow that runs in parallel.
The promise we're making
When someone signs up for Launch's RA service, what they're paying $150/year for is peace of mind that the official communication channel with the state is reliable. Specifically:
- Their registered office address is a real, monitored, professional address — not their home
- Any legal mail (service of process, IRS notice, state notice) gets scanned and emailed to them the same business day it arrives
- Renewals don't slip because we send reminders 60, 30, and 7 days out
- A real person at Launch picks up the phone if they have a question
Everything below is in service of making sure the client feels that promise from day one.
Onboarding journey, day by day
Day 0 — payment lands
- Stripe sends them an immediate payment receipt (automatic)
- Within 1 business hour, we send a "Welcome to Launch RA" email (Gmail template: "RA · Welcome")
- Subject: "You're in — your Launch Industries Registered Agent service is set up"
- Confirms what they paid for and what's about to happen
- Includes the address they should use as Registered Agent on any filings: Launch Industries, PO Box 16288, Seattle, WA 98116
- Links to the intake form if they haven't completed it
- Names a single point of contact ("Your account is being handled by Monica; she'll be in touch within 1 business day")
Day 1 — intake confirmation
- We've reviewed their intake info
- If complete: send the Consent Letter for signature (DocuSign or simple PDF reply)
- If incomplete: send the Intake Gap email with the specific missing fields highlighted
The intake form should have captured:
- Legal entity name (exact)
- UBI (if existing) or "new entity" flag
- Physical address (for the entity's principal office)
- Mailing address
- Member / officer name(s) + contact info
- Reason for engaging (new business / switching RAs / current RA quitting)
- City of operations (so we know if FileLocal applies)
Day 1-2 — consent signed, filing initiated
Once the signed consent is back:
- We file with WA SOS (Statement of Change for existing entities, Certificate of Formation for new ones)
- Send a quick "On file with WA SOS" email confirming the filing is in
- For new formations, this is also when the UBI gets assigned
Day 3-5 — WA SOS approval
- WA SOS approval typically lands 2-5 business days after filing
- The moment it approves, we send the "Confirmed: Launch is your RA" email (Gmail template: "RA · Confirmed")
- Attached: filed Certificate / Statement of Change PDF
- Includes the UBI (highlighted)
- Lists their Annual Report due date (12 months from formation, then yearly)
- Lists their RA service renewal date ($150 invoice will land 30 days before)
- Names the compliance reminders we'll send (60, 30, 7 days before any due date)
- Confirms the email address we'll forward any state mail to
Day 7 — check-in
A short, friendly email 1 week in:
- "Everything good? Any state mail come yet?"
- Confirms they have the WA SOS filing on file
- Includes a link to schedule a 15-minute call if they want to walk through anything
- This catches the rare case where the client made a typo in the email we have on file and isn't receiving forwards
Day 30 — first-month touchpoint (only if compliance items pending)
If they have an open compliance item we set up reminders for (city license renewal, first DOR return, etc.), send a "heads-up, here's what's coming" email at the 30-day mark.
If nothing's pending, no email. Silence is fine — they should only hear from us when something needs attention.
Where things should land
For every RA client, by end of onboarding:
| Stripe | Subscription record, annual recurring at $150 |
Supabase clients row | Updated with registered_agent_status = active, ra_renewal_date, wa_ubi |
| Google Drive | Folder at Government → [Client Name]/RA Service/ with welcome email, signed consent, filed SOS doc |
| Compliance calendar | Annual Report date, RA renewal date, city BL renewal, DOR return dates |
| ClickUp | Setup task marked complete in the "RA — New Setup" list |
The "RA-only" path vs "Startup Support" path
Sometimes RA is bundled with a full Startup Support engagement (forming a new entity from scratch). When that's the case:
- The Startup Support project takes the lead on SOS filing + EIN + DOR + city license
- RA service starts after the entity exists at WA SOS with Launch listed
- Skip the "Day 1 consent letter" step — the formation filing already lists Launch as RA
- The Welcome email still goes out at payment, but the Confirmed email doesn't go until the Startup Support flow finishes
Document templates
All onboarding templates live in:
- Gmail labels:
Launch / RA / Welcome,Launch / RA / Intake Gap,Launch / RA / Confirmed,Launch / RA / Day-7 Check-In - Drive (Legal folder): Consent Letter PDF template (opens in a new tab)
- Drive (Government folder): Per-client subfolders created during setup
What we DO NOT promise in onboarding
To set proper expectations, be clear with the client that the RA service does not include:
- Filing the Annual Report each year (separate fee when due, ~$60 state + service time)
- Filing DOR returns (separate Bookkeeping/Tax engagement)
- Filing City B&O returns (separate Bookkeeping/Tax engagement)
- Statutory legal advice — we forward what arrives; we don't interpret it
- Receiving private mail or packages at our address (RA address is for state/IRS/legal mail only)
If the client wants any of the above, talk to Monica about a bundled engagement.
v1 draft. Update the Gmail template names + Drive folder structure to match whatever the current operator setup uses. Last updated 2026-05-27.