The main point of business name registration is simply to submit your company name to the state for it to be on their list of registered business names. Registration of your company name is generally a very good idea if you have a business name already, and/or if you're planning on starting a new business... In either case, you want to make sure that the name you choose will not just be taken, so you want to make sure that you register it first. Why? Because the next time you start doing business, you'll have your name registered with the state. Please note that business name registration usually involves an application form, a fee, and (depending on the state) proof of financial liability or insurance. For example, if you decide to register your business name as Nominet, a not-for-profit public information service that houses records of almost everything, including names, you'll be required to fill out a registration form. The form itself may be available on the Nominet website, in their publications, via email, or by contacting them directly. If you contact them, they'll either be happy to assist you or direct you to the appropriate resource. Learn more about a business name here. Another business-name registration process is obtaining a trademark license, although this does involve filing a separate form with the state (and sometimes with the county). Trademark licenses, however, are often contentious, so it's important to consult with someone qualified to help you with this process before moving forward. You'll need to provide him or her with an application and payment, among other things. A good trademark attorney should help you through all of this. If you plan on incorporating, registering your business name, or trademarking your name, it's important that you choose the corporation that will serve as your official entity. A general partnership or limited liability company may suffice. Once you've decided on this choice, however, you'll have to register your corporation with the secretary of state, in the county where you live, according to the rules that apply to corporations. Your partners will likely have to register their own names, too, as partners in your new business. And remember that even if you incorporate as a sole proprietorship, your business registration is only for the name; your business name registration will entitle you to a registered agent who can act on your behalf. Discover more about registration here. If you're wondering whether a business name registration needs to be done with the secretary of state, the answer is no. Although filing a standard form with the state is required for most other forms of business name registration, it's not for business name registration. That's why the form isn't filed with the state: it's meant to be filed with the registrar of patents, which is in turn located within the Department of Patent and Trademark Services (here in Washington, DC). (You should also note that you should never use your house address or street name when you file, unless you're registering the name of your company's business at that address.) The form isn't filed with the patent office until after you have been approved for a business license or certificate by the state, so the form doesn't become due for filing until the very end of the licensing process, even though the last step of the process is pretty simple. If you've decided against incorporating as a corporation, the next question that you have to ask yourself is whether your planned business name registration will enable you to incorporate as a separate entity from your home-based business. Some states disallow incorporation as a separate entity; others allow it only to an existing corporation. For example, in Washington DC, if you're incorporating as a DBA, you'll be allowed to incorporate as a sole proprietorship, although you'll still be registered as your home business name. If you incorporate as a corporation, you'll be registered as a corporation with a Washington DC address and have the right to transact business in any state where you're doing business. Your home business registration doesn't give you rights to transact business anywhere other than where you're incorporated, so you do need a separate license to do business outside of your home state. Read more about a business at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporation_(business).
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