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The competition in the business environment in the US is insane.
Why?
Because millions of businesses are coming up every year. In June alone, 465,906 business formation applications were filed.
How can you set your business apart from this fierce competition?
You need to learn how to register a business name that people can remember, identify it amongst your competitors, and easily recommend you to others. And how do you do it?
This quick guide will teach you how to register a business name the best way.
1. Check Its Availability
Understanding how to register a business name correctly starts by ensuring the name isn’t already registered by someone else.
But why?
Because the US laws don’t allow registering a business that’s already taken.
Check with your state’s database to ensure the name is available for registration.
2. Decide Your Business Structure
Forming a business entity is the straightforward way of registering a business in the US. Once you file the paperwork for your business entity, your business name is registered automatically.
Here are the four common business entities to choose from:
- Limited Liability Company
- Sole Proprietorship
- Partnership
- Corporation
No matter the business entity you choose, you have to file some paperwork.
Unless you have done it before or you have ample knowledge about filing the paperwork, the whole process can be a tad overwhelming.
And that’s why hiring a professional agency to do the filing for you makes more sense. But before you hire an agency, make sure you do enough research and compare different business formation agencies to make an informed decision.
Read this comparison of ZenBusiness and LegalZoom by GovDocFiling to understand which agency is better for you.
3. Trademark a Business Name
When you trademark a business name and all associated brand identity elements like your logos, slogan, color and others, you protect anyone from using your name in any way.
If you plan to operate your business across the United States, you need to trademark your business name with the federal office.
4. Register a ‘Doing Business As’ Name
A ‘Doing Business As’ name or DBA is a name other than your official name that you can register and undertake business operations.
Registering a DBA allows you to use a name that’s not your official name. It can be a great idea if you intend to change your business name in the future.
Also, if you plan to form a sole proprietorship business, you can use this method.
Conclusion
Knowing how to register a business name in the US can be beneficial in many ways apart from avoiding legal issues.
We hope this guide teaches you how to register your business name successfully.
