How to Legally Claim Your Business Name
As any business owner already knows, starting a small business requires you, the aspiring entrepreneur, to navigate a daunting obstacle course of the white-collar variety. There will often be a myriad of bureaucratic hoops to jump through before crossing the finish line, not the least of which is legally claiming what will become your company’s legal business name. Here is a crash course on how to get the deed done so you can stop worrying about what to call your business and start figuring out how to make that mullah.
Take Tabs
Before you go about determining your business’s name, it can help to first reflect on exactly how you plan to make it work. There are a lot of different kinds of businesses out there, and having a concrete idea for how your business is going to function from the get-go will help you avoid issues later. If you’re unsure about the future of your business and you think it could go one of a few ways, try to pick a name that’s going to work for every option.
See What’s Out There
If you’ve finally thought up that perfect business name, don’t get too attached yet. Until you’ve checked to see that it’s available, you have no way of knowing that your prized find is actually yours. There are a variety of resources available to entrepreneurs searching to see if their name is already taken, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office database. Regardless of how unique your name may be, you’ll want to double check to make sure it’s available in all forms. Don’t let your business be the victim of a copyright smack down!
Time to File
Once you’ve got the perfect name and cleared it using the USPATO database, you can start making major moves. Many entrepreneurs file a DBA, short for “Doing Business As,” to register their company name legally. However, you may find that as a result of where you live, the kind of business you’ll be creating, or your taxpayer status, a different registration process makes more sense for you. This is where a tax consultant, lawyer, or accountant can come in handy.
Legally registering your company’s name opens the door to a variety of financial and legal opportunities. Your company can apply for a trademark or a liquor license, or it can put forward legal complaints against any business that attempts to use the same name.
Claiming your business name is one of the first steps in establishing your company. With your company name on lock, your entrepreneurial adventure has just begun!