How to Register a Business Name

Estimated read time 3 min read

One of the first steps to starting a new business is choosing a name for your company. This is the name under which you’ll promote, market, and sell your products or services. An effective business name should be unique, memorable, and brandable. If not, you may struggle to connect with your target audience and to differentiate your business from its competitors. Once you’ve chosen a name for your business, you’ll need to register it. Today we’ll take a closer look at how to register a business name.

How to Register a Business Name

The Purpose of Registering a Business Name

Registering a business name prevents other businesses and individuals from legally using it. Once registered, no other person or entity can legally use it. If they do, you can file a copyright claim in court to force the infringing party to change their name.

Most jurisdictions require business owners to register their business’s name. To ensure legal compliance and prevent competitors from using the same name, you must register your business’s name.

Registering Business Name with Business Structure

Perhaps the easiest way to register your business’s name is to create a business structure. Rather than operating your business as a sole proprietorship, for example, consider operating it as a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation. Not only does this provide you with tax benefits, but it also automatically registers your name.

When you set up a business structure such as an LLC or corporation, you must file articles of incorporation that, among other things, include your business’s name, thereby simplifying the process of registering your business’s name.

Registering a Fictitious Business Name

If you plan to operate your business as a sole proprietorship, you’ll need to register what’s known as a “fictitious” business name. Also known as a DBA, this involves checking to see if your desired name is already being used by another business at your local county clerk’s office. Assuming the name isn’t being used, you can then file the papers to register your fictitious business name.

Register Business Name as Trademark

A third way to register your business’s name is to register it as a trademark. This offers full protection of your business’s name in all 50 states. Keep in mind that you’ll have to a small fee when registering your business’s name as a trademark.

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