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Zenind Founder Dream Initiative

Starting a business should not depend on what you can afford on day one.

Every year, millions of people set out to start a business. Many stop at the first step, when the fees and the paperwork arrive long before the first customer does. The Founder Dream Initiative is our commitment to help them take that step.

Start your company Contribute

A founder's first year, step by step

Six steps take a plan to a running company. Here is what each one asks of a founder, and where the initiative stands on the way.

  1. You decide to start

    It begins with a plan and the decision to act on it. You are in large company.

    5.67 million
    applications to start a business were filed in the United States in 2025.
    U.S. Census Bureau

  2. You choose a name and a structure

    An LLC or a corporation, and which state to form it in. The choice shapes your taxes and your paperwork for years, and most founders make it for the first time.

    Our free guides explain the choices in plain language, and Basic includes the company name check.

  3. You file with the state

    The company exists once the state accepts its formation filing. The state charges its own fee, and the filing has to be prepared correctly to be accepted.

    On Basic, Zenind prepares and files it for you, and the formation service is free. The state's fee still applies.
    80%
    of employer businesses used the owner's personal savings as startup capital.
    SBA Office of Advocacy

  4. Our commitment

    The first three steps are where most of the early cost and paperwork sit. This is what we have committed to, so that they are not where a plan ends.

    1. Zenind puts 10% of its service revenue into the initiative.
    2. Customers can add a contribution of their own, once or every month. All of it goes to the initiative.
    3. The money is spent on small business owners, and on nothing else.

    Service revenue is what customers pay Zenind for its own services, after discounts. It does not include state and government fees, payment surcharges or customers' contributions.

    Zenind Inc. is a for-profit company, not a charity. Zenind runs the initiative itself, and contributions are not tax-deductible.

  5. You get a tax ID and a bank account

    The IRS issues an EIN, the number that banks, payroll and tax filings ask for. With it you can open an account that keeps the company's money apart from your own.

  6. You find your first customers

    Now the work you started the company for begins. For most new owners it is still one person doing everything.

    82.3%
    of U.S. small businesses have no employees: the owner is the whole company.
    SBA Office of Advocacy

  7. You keep the company in good standing

    States ask for reports and fees every year. Missing a deadline can cost a company its standing.

    Our guides cover what each state asks for, and when.
    47.2%
    of the business establishments opened in the year to March 2021 were still open five years later.
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What the initiative pays for

Free formations

On Zenind's Basic package, the formation service is free. We check the company name, prepare the filing and file it with the state. State filing fees and any other services you choose are charged separately. It is open to every founder, with no application.

  • Company name availability check
  • Preparation of the state filing
  • Filing with the Secretary of State
  • An online company dashboard and customer support
See what Basic includes

Education

Plain-language guides for new owners, free to read in 34 languages: choosing a structure, registering in a state, taxes, and keeping a company in good standing.

Two ways to take part

Start your company with Zenind

Ten percent of what you pay Zenind for its services goes to the initiative. If you start on Basic, the formation service itself is free.

Start your company

Add a contribution of your own

Contribute once or every month, by card, from your Zenind dashboard. All of it goes to the initiative, and you can change or cancel a monthly contribution at any time.

Contribute

Questions and answers

Is Zenind a charity?
No. Zenind Inc. is a for-profit company and runs the initiative itself. Contributions are not donations to a charity, and they are not tax-deductible.
What counts as service revenue?
Service revenue is what customers pay Zenind for its own services, after discounts. It does not include state and government fees, payment surcharges or customers' contributions.
Who can get a free formation?
Any founder. Choose the Basic package when you start your company. There is no application and no review. State filing fees still apply.
How do I contribute?
Sign in to your Zenind dashboard and open the Founder Dream Initiative page. You can contribute from $1 to $500, once or every month, and you pay by card on Stripe's secure page.
Can I stop a monthly contribution?
Yes, at any time. The same page opens Stripe's portal, where you can change the card or cancel.
Does contributing change what I pay for Zenind's services?
No. A contribution is separate from any order, and it is always optional.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics: business applications, not seasonally adjusted. The 2025 figure is the sum of the twelve monthly counts (5,671,836), as published on October 14, 2026. An application is a request for a federal tax ID, not a business that opened. https://www.census.gov/econ/currentdata/?programCode=BFS&startYear=2019&endYear=2025&categories[]=TOTAL&dataType=BA_BA&geoLevel=US&adjusted=0&notAdjusted=1&errorData=0
  2. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, February 2026. A small business is an independent business with fewer than 500 employees; the counts are for 2022. https://advocacy.sba.gov/2026/02/03/frequently-asked-questions-about-small-business-2026/
  3. U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, Small Business Finance Frequently Asked Questions, October 2024. https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Small-Business-Finance-FAQs-2024_FINAL.pdf
  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Table 7: survival of private sector establishments by opening year, read in October 2026. https://www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm