Want to learn how to register a business name in the United States? This short guide will teach you how to register your business name correctly. The competition in the business world continues to get stiffer as millions of businesses are coming up every year.
As of June this year, over 2.65 million business applications were filed in the US.
Registering a business name not only helps you avoid legal issues but can help establish your identity among thousands of businesses out there.
What’s more?
When you register a short, catchy, and memorable name, you make it easy for your customers to remember you and recommend your business to others.
But how do you accomplish this?
Read this guide to understand how to register a business name legally.
1. Select a Business Entity
When learning how to register a business name, the most important thing is to choose between the following business entities:
- Limited Liability Company
- Sole Proprietorship
- Partnership
- Corporation
When you choose any of the entities above and register it, your business name is also registered automatically.
Note that registering any of these business entities requires some paperwork. As a beginner, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of forms you need to fill out.
In such a situation, it makes sense to hire a business formation service to do the heavy lifting for you. But make sure you conduct enough research and compare different business formation services before you make your final decision.
Read this comparison of Incfile and ZenBusiness to figure out which one might be the better service for you.
2. Use the Trademarking Method
This is an important step for learning how to register a business name, especially in today’s crowded business world.
When you trademark a business name, you protect it from being used by others in their business operations.
4. Register a Fictitious Name
This is a name you can register that’s not your official business name. A fictitious name, also known as an assumed or ‘Doing Business As’ could be your official name or something related to your business.
It’s a great option if you want to conceal your identity and can be used by sole proprietors.
5. Register a Domain Name
Having a website in today’s digital world isn’t optional. Once you register your business name, go ahead and register a domain name for it. This will help to prevent anyone from claiming your domain name.
Conclusion
Understanding how to register a business name is the first step to starting a successful business in today’s competitive world.
However, due to the amount of paperwork involved in the process, it can be challenging for newbies.
Use the methods outlined in this guide to know how to register your business effortlessly.
Author Bio:
Brett Shapiro is a co-owner of GovDocFiling. He had an entrepreneurial spirit since he was young. He started GovDocFiling, a simple resource center that takes care of the mundane, yet critical, formation documentation for any new business entity.
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