As of June this year, more than 2.6 million new business registration applications were filed in the U.S. alone. And millions of new businesses are coming up every year.
This means that there is fierce competition for customers out there.
If you’re planning to start a business today, you have to determine how to set it apart from the crowd.
How do you achieve that?
It’s by knowing how to register a business name that’s easy to remember and identify by your target customers.
But the business name registration process isn’t an easy one.
That’s why we’ve created a 4-step guide to help you understand how to register a business name correctly.
1. Register a Business Entity
The simple way on how to register a business name in the U.S. is to choose a business entity.
This is because when filing paperwork for your business entity, you’ll need to indicate your business name.
Depending on your business, you can choose from the four common business entities below:
- Corporation
- Limited Liability Company
- Partnership
- Sole Proprietorship
An LLC is the most popular type of business you can start in the U.S. but it requires a lot of paperwork which can be hectic for a newbie. To simplify the process, you can give the work to a business formation agency. Here’s a review of Incfile by GovDocFiling to help you understand if it’s the right agency for you.
2. File a Doing Business As
Filing a ‘Doing Business As’ is a simple way of registering a business name that’s not your official business name. This can be done at the state or county level.
Registering a DBA helps to protect your privacy, especially for sole proprietors who don’t want to use their real names.
- Trademark a Name
Another alternative way for learning how to register your business name is to use the trademark or service mark method.
With this method, you protect your business name, logo, slogan, and other brand identity elements associated with it from being used by anyone else.
Since the requirements for trademarking a business name vary from state to state, you need to register in all the states you plan to undertake your business operations.
4. Register a Domain Name
Lastly, make sure you register a domain name to create a business website and avail your products or services online. This will help you operate your business beyond borders.
Conclusion
Follow these simple steps on how to register a business name in the US and avoid legal issues while setting yourself apart from your competition.
Since the business name registration process can be challenging for newbie entrepreneurs, we recommend using a business formation service.
About the Author:
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.
