If your proposed business name is available, your state may also permit you to temporarily reserve the name until you're able to get your documentation filed. Your state's business office should be able to provide you with further information as to how you can determine if another company is already using your proposed business name. Once you've chosen a business name, the next step is to make sure another business is not already using it in your state. Check the availability of your business name While a trademark search isn't required, it's a smart business move, as you'll be able to see if a trademark has been registered or been applied for, which might be too similar to your proposed LLC name. You can check for potential infringement by searching online using the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS), a database of registered trademarks and prior pending trademark applications maintained by the U.S. Check your state's list of restricted words to make sure your chosen business name doesn't contain any words it shouldn't.Īlso, make sure your proposed business name doesn’t infringe on any existing trademark. For example, words such as 'Bank' or 'Insurance' are commonly restricted by most states. You also can't include in your name any words that your state has restricted from being used in an LLC name. This means you will need to use a designation such as 'LLC' or 'limited liability company' as part of your name. In addition to choosing a good name for business and marketing purposes-for example, one that will help you build and establish brand identity-there are other important legal considerations as well.įirst, your LLC's business name will need to indicate that your business is, in fact, an LLC. It's important to spend some time thinking about your new LLC's business name. Your state business office will be able to provide you with more information on what particular steps you will need to follow for properly setting up an LLC. How to form an LLCĭepending on the state in which you will be starting an LLC, you may not have to take all the steps outlined below. While applying for an LLC is not complicated, there are several steps that you need to follow to make sure you form your business correctly.

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