If you’ve discovered the latest million-dollar idea, or have a plan to disrupt legacy business models, you may be eager to launch your own company. Ownr (https://www.ownr.co) is a Canadian company that labels itself as a one-stop shop to register, incorporate, create legal agreements, and manage employees. All on a single platform. But, does Ownr live up to the hype? That’s what this review will (hopefully) help you determine…

About the Company

• URL: https://www.ownr.co/
• Phone: Available Through Booking
• Email: support@ownr.co
• Company HQ: Toronto, ON
• Google Reviews: 4.6/5 stars (642 reviews)

Pros and Cons of Ownr

For a quick overview of Ownr’s strengths and weaknesses, please see the list below:

Pros:

• Ownr is backed by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
• You can save up to $300 on an RBC business bank account if you open it within 60 days of registering for Ownr
• You can create and store legal documents, get resources, support, and access over $16,000 in savings through potential Ownr perks
• Ownr lets you store all of your regulatory documents in one place and provides reminders and guidance for dealing with potential issues
• Ownr can handle shareholder agreements, employees, contractors, and stock-option plans
• Ownr is a happy medium between incorporating on your own and hiring a lawyer
• Highly rated by customers

Cons:

• Customer service can be hit-and-miss
• Registration is only available in Ontario, Alberta, BC, and Quebec
• Some applicants may find Ownr’s plans expensive

What is Ownr?

Ownr is an online platform that helps Canadians incorporate their business and automate legal work. Instead of working with a lawyer, Ownr has helped more than 170,000 businesses become legal entities in as little as 15 minutes.

It’s an all-in-one platform to create and store legal documents, get resources, support, and access over $16,000 in savings through potential Ownr perks.

Ownr is owned by RBC Ventures, which is an affiliate of the Royal Bank of Canada. Becoming a member can help you save up to $300 on an RBC business bank account if you open it within 60 days of registering for Ownr.

Why Should I Use Ownr?

Ownr provides several services that take the guesswork out of your business’s legal obligations. For example, some of the benefits of the platform include:

• Sole Proprietorship Registration
• Incorporations
• Onboarding Existing Corporations
• Secure Document Management
• Simplified Corporate Governance
• Filing Deadlines and Ongoing Regulatory Requirements

In a nutshell: Ownr lets you store all of your regulatory documents in one place and provides reminders and guidance for dealing with potential issues.

For example, incorporation documents, bylaws, and resolutions are stored to help you stay compliant, and you can use Ownr’s minute book to track, update, and stay on top of important information.

What Is a Minute Book?

Canadian corporations are legally required to have a minute book, and they are used to store important company documents and records. To make the process as easy as possible, Ownr stores all of these filings online, and you can access them any time through the Ownr dashboard.

For more insights, The Government of Canada has information about federal and provincial incorporations.

What Does Ownr Cost For New Businesses?

If your business is not incorporated, there are three options to choose from. But please note:

• The costs vary depending on whether you choose federal or provincial registration
• Registration is only available in Ontario, Alberta, BC, and Quebec.

For this review, we cover the provincial pricing plans in Ontario.

The first is a Sole Proprietorship Plan. There is a one-time fee of $49 and you receive the following benefits:

• Unlimited Business Name Searches
• Business Registration Number
• Business Registration Documents
• Business Document Storage
• Ownr Perks Membership
• Chat Support

The second is the Full Incorporation, Plus One-Year Minute Book Access Plan. It costs $599 and you receive the following benefits:

• Incorporation & Filings With the Government
• Company Name Registration
• Company Organization Documents & Share Issuances
• Up to 3 User Accounts
• Ownr Perks Membership

Finally, the Managed Corporation Plan costs $599 per year plus a $499 incorporation fee. You receive:

• Full Incorporation Plus Additional Features
• Unlimited User Accounts
• Unlimited Company Updates & Government Filings
• Unlimited Access to Ownr Legal Agreement Library
• Ownr Perks Membership
• Unlimited Support

Essentially, the Managed Corporation Plan is like having a virtual lawyer to handle all of your regulatory and filing needs. Furthermore, the following add-ons are available for managed plans, and may be useful for larger businesses:

• Add three managed shareholders for $297 per year; each additional shareholder after that is $99 per year
• Add three managed employees and/or contractors for $99 per year; each additional after that is $39 per year
• Set up an employee stock option plan for $999 per year

What Does Ownr Cost For Existing Corporations?

If your business is already incorporated, you can transfer your document storage to Ownr and enjoy all of the other benefits.

The Online Minute Book Plan costs $199 per year and includes the following benefits:

• Online Minute Book Management
• Annual Filings & Resolutions
• Up to 3 User Accounts

Second, the Managed Corporation Plan is identical to the description above and costs $599 per year. However, you don’t need to pay the $499 incorporation fee since your company is already a legal entity.

Does Ownr Offer Business Insurance?

While Ownr doesn’t offer business insurance directly, you can obtain coverage through its parent company, RBC. However, if you prefer the online experience, check out our Zensurance review, which covers the fintech’s strengths and weaknesses.

The firm has exceptional ratings on Google and Trustpilot, and Zensurance partners with over 50 insurance providers and has more than 250 employees nationwide. In addition, you can obtain commercial insurance for as little as $19 per month and policies can be up to 35% cheaper than competitor offers.

How Do Customers Feel About Ownr?

The vast majority of Google reviews for Ownr are positive, and customers cite a seamless and user-friendly process. However, like most fintechs, complaints stem from spotty customer service, since Ownr communicates primarily via email and live chat. Some of the testimonials stated:

• “Ownr” should be in the dictionary as a synonym for the word swift… My experience so far has been nothing short of excellent. Fred from the Ownr team attended to me when I had some issues and literally held my hand through the process till everything was sorted. Great service and support.
• Can’t express enough gratitude towards Ownr and specifically, the incredibly helpful Katrina for their unparalleled support during my company’s incorporation process. From the very first interaction, it was evident that Ownr held a commitment to not just serve, but to genuinely assist entrepreneurs on their journeys.
• Good experience, the process was very fast. However, answers to questions were not available, no telephone support was available immediately. Answer was found during an extensive search, which caused registration 1-2 hours delay. But the overall experience was satisfactory.
• Good enough when it works. It falls apart when you need to make changes or something breaks. Support is laughable in my experience. It takes a minimum of 2 business days via chat/email and phone calls have to be booked months in advance.

As you can see, customers are fond of the product, but when confronted with technical issues, they find it difficult to connect with representatives. Therefore, if you’re used to troubleshooting issues or have the time to deal with potential delays, Ownr may be right for you.

Are We Believers In Ownr?

Outside of the customer service complaints, Ownr has a lot of good qualities. It’s backed by RBC, which is the largest financial institution in Canada. Likewise, storing your documents online makes it easier to keep track of important filings and set reminders to avoid missing key deadlines. Moreover, with the help of Ownr’s platform, you can spend more time managing your business and less time worrying about regulatory issues.

To that point, while incorporating directly with the government may seem cheaper, it can be difficult to understand all of the legal jargon without the help of a lawyer. In turn, his or her services could add a few thousand dollars to your bill.

As such, Ownr is a happy medium between the two — offering incorporation guidance and advice without the cost of hiring a lawyer. Therefore, we believe it’s a useful service for businesses that don’t have unique or complex structures.

If you want to learn more, visit: https://www.ownr.co/