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Corporations are formal business structures that require a unique name that follows your state’s requirements. Registering your business name can offer protection and should be one of your first steps in starting a new https://adprun.net/quickbooks-vs-quicken-knowing-the-difference/ business. If you start operating your business with a name that someone else in your state has already registered, you will be unable to register that name yourself and may have to rename and rebrand your company.
For example, a nail technician will most likely highlight the word nail in their business name, especially since that’s the core of their work identity. Sole Proprietors have no legal distinction between themselves and their business, thus their legal business name is their own name or must include their name. 10 Companies That Hire for Remote Bookkeeping Jobs For example, if Jane Doe operates a nail salon she would need to operate the business under her name or with a name like “Jane Doe’s Nail Salon”. If a Sole Proprietor wants to operate under a different name that is more brandable that does not include their name they are required to file a DBA Name.
How to start an LLC in 7 steps
Once the name is selected, it is important to register with the Secretary of State. Registering your name with the Secretary of State will ensure it is solely yours and cannot be used by any other company in the state of Ohio. If you’re asked to log in with an OHID – the state’s best-of-breed digital identity – your privacy, data, and personal information are protected by all federal and state digital security guidelines. If you are in the process of setting up a particular business structure, you may end up registering a business name by default that you wish to stick with. Depending on the context, keeping the distinction of “LLC.,” “Corporation,” and so on in your business name may not be a negative at all.
- However, doing business as a sole proprietor can leave you vulnerable to certain financial risks and might cause you to miss out on some valuable tax benefits that can come from forming an LLC.
- Alternatively, you can form your business now and set the effective date (aka the formation date) for some point in the future.
- Like sole proprietors, a business operating as a general partnership must include at least the last names of the partners in the business name.
- When registering an LLC, for example, your business name must include a term such as “L.L.C.,” “limited company,” or similar in the title.
- In this article, we explain how to register your business so you can get your business up and running.
- If you are planning to start a business as a sole proprietor, you might opt for a business name that includes your name.
After a business entity has been established or receives authorization to do business in New Jersey, it may legally do business under an alternate name once the alternate name is registered. For example, ABC Food and Beverage LLC could get an alternate name called John’s Pizza and put that on their storefront. Franchises often do this or businesses who want to publicly go by a different name. If you are a sole proprietor or a general partnership and you do not want to use your personal name as your business name, you can register a business name at your local clerk’s office. Learn what forms and licenses you need to start your business and avoid fines.
Registering Your Business
You will need to check the state’s requirements but, in most cases, you can register your business with the secretary of state’s office. You’ll still need to establish bylaws, hold a meeting with your board of directors, issue shares, and obtain any permits or further registration you need to do business. For more information, read our complete guide to starting a corporation. Potentially the most straightforward way to register your business name is to register your business structure at the state level. This will ensure that your business name is officially “yours” and that you can do business using that name.
