Business Name Services
RASi business name services, include fictitious business name search
When forming a company, one of the most important decisions to be made is that of the company name. It is suggested to make this decision early on during the business planning stage because states regulate the selection of business names. Fictitious business names are used for many reasons including the opening of company bank accounts, while some companies elect to use various fictitious business names to better describe their products or services. Regardless of the purpose, RASi has years of experience in the preparation and filing of these documents. RASi fictitious business name services include checking on the availability of fictitious names, the form preparation, and the filing itself.Name Availability, Reservations & Registrations
States require that a new company's name be substantially different from any existing company names on record with the state as to prevent confusion or misrepresentation to consumers. It is common to request a "Name Check" to ensure that your company's intended name is in fact available and distinguishable by the state standards. There is no limit to the number of name checks you may request, but it may be helpful to have several intended names selected that best describe your business and you do not believe to be in existence. It is suggested to choose a name for your company early on and ensure its availability prior to creating marketing materials and creating websites, etc..
Once you select a company name that is available, it is recommended to request a "Name Reservation" immediately. A name reservation will secure the name for your use for a specified period of time, thus preventing others from registering the name before you file your incorporation documents. The amount of time that a name can be reserved as well as the amount of times a name can be reserved varies by state. Additionally, the type of entity you will be forming needs to be specified at the time of the name reservation. Most states require that you show the corporate indicator after the company name once in use (i.e., Inc., or LLC).
Fictitious Business Name / Assumed Name
A fictitious business name is an official business name registration that allows sole proprietorships (individuals), partnerships, and even corporate entities to conduct business under a business name other than their true legal name. Depending on the state or local jurisdiction, "Fictitious Business Names" (FBN) registrations are often referred to as "Doing Business As" (DBA), "Assumed Names", or "Trade Names." Some states allow for the filing of fictitious business names at the state level, other states require that these registrations be filed at the local level, and a few states do not recognize fictitious business names at all. In many jurisdictions, the fictitious business name filing must be followed by a publication of the registration in an authorized manner such as an approved newspaper. It is also important to know the duration of these registrations, as some must be renewed frequently while others may never expire.
Any type of entity can file a fictitious business name, however there are some restrictions. A sole proprietorship or partnership cannot add a corporate indicator to the fictitious business name, such as Inc. or LLC. A corporate entity can only use the corporate indicator actually associated with the legal entity, thus an LLC cannot use a fictitious business name with a corporate indicator of Inc.