As your business evolves, you may want (or will need to) change your company`s DBA name. Maybe you`re considering adding a new product line. Or maybe a partner has joined your company. Either way, sometimes you need to shake things up with your company name so that it matches the changes you`re making to your business. Once you have an active trademark registration, you can use the trademark symbol wherever your name appears (advertising, packaging, ® etc.). You can register a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), but you may want to consider hiring a lawyer to help you. There are undoubtedly advantages to running your business under one or more trade names. In addition to the potential cost benefits of simply filing confirmation statements and deposit accounts for the registered lead company, you also have the opportunity to clearly differentiate the different characteristics of your business and create a strong brand by aligning your business name with your domain name. However, there are also serious risks and pitfalls and it certainly makes sense to conduct thorough checks of the company`s name and brand before deciding on this path, as the risks could prove costly. It is up to the company to determine whether or not it can benefit from the use of a trade name instead of its legal trade name. Using a DBA or trade name has its advantages and disadvantages. Before you decide to use a trade name instead of your legal name for businesses, consider the following pros and cons of using a trade name.

Forming an LLC is a great way for business owners to limit their liability for the company`s debt. Here is a step-by-step guide to forming an LLC. If you choose a business name that is too similar to an existing sole proprietor, especially one that operates locally, you could be sued for “sharing,” meaning you benefit from the reputation and goodwill built by another company. Other business owners use trade names because they own many product brands that are managed independently. Each trademark has its trade name, but is registered under a single company name. For example, the trademarks Dove, Ben & Jerry`s and Vaseline are registered under Unilever PLC. A trademark is a sign of origin, it confers exclusive rights to the use of that name and the ability to prevent others from adopting an identical or similar confusing mark in the same field. Your DBA can also be something completely different from your company`s official name.

This is a common practice among sole proprietors who do not want to use their legal name, but limited liability companies, partnerships and businesses often use trade names. You may want to use a business name to “subdivide” your business. For example, if you run a web design business registered with Companies House, you can use a business name for an add-on service such as search engine optimization or content creation. When it comes to how you call your business, you need to know if it`s more advantageous to use your business name or the business name. Find out the difference between the company name and the trade name below. In this article, we explain the difference between a company name and a trade name, the advantages and disadvantages of using a trade name and registering a trade name. When you start a business, you spend a lot of time choosing the perfect name. Plus, it`s your first point of contact with potential customers. This is the first element of your business that customers will encounter. Registering a company name is not the same as a registered trademark. As explained earlier, trade names do not have the same level of protection as a registered company name.

This means that if someone wants to register your business name as a limited liability company, they can do so. You would even have the right to demand that you stop using the name! This could cause you significant problems if you have been trading under this name for some time and have built an established reputation and clientele. It could prove difficult to recover from the potential disruption this could have for your business. Having a trade name has certain advantages. It allows you to legally recognize what your customers might end up calling your business, as they are likely to drop the “LLC” or “Inc” designation. By registering a business name, you can freely use the business name without fear of misidencing your business. For example, if you trade exclusively on the Cocos Islands (Keeling Islands). Registration in the register of company names identifies who is behind the name of a company. Each company is required to disclose its registered name on certain company records.

The name of the registered company must be present on all of the following: For this reason, after registering the company name, it should be considered: If your company is registered as a sole proprietorship, your company name is your full name, such as Robert Miller. If you operate a business, your company name is usually marked “Inc.”, e.g., Miller Power Inc. If your business is an LLC (Limited Liability Companies), it usually has the suffix “LLC”, like Miller Power LLC.