A brand prevents potential competitors from copying or imitating your brand too closely, which can help companies differentiate their products from others and get the customers and profits they`ve worked so hard for. Registering a trademark also gives you more legal rights than running a business without a trademark. If your business is sued for its trademark, or if you want to take legal action against another company, a trademark registration certificate can be important evidence. State and federal laws generally prohibit companies from using legally or morally offensive terms. For example, a company`s name should not use swear words or words that evoke indecent or pornographic thoughts. Similarly, new businesses cannot use names that suggest or promote illegal activities. Even if the name is available for an LLC in your state, you may not want to use it if it is too similar to a trade name used elsewhere. This could be confusing for your customers, harm your brand, and even make you vulnerable to lawsuits. Our top choice of web hosting and domain registrars is GoDaddy. We love their domain search tool – you can search for the exact name you want or make suggestions based on keywords and available names.
There are also several other companies to choose from that offer a good experience. Don`t forget to acquire the name .com you want as a business investment. You can check the availability of a domain name on sites like GoDaddy.com or NetworkSolutions.com, and if the domain name is used, you can often find the owner of the domain name and see if they are willing to sell it using GoDaddy`s “Whois” tool or Network Solutions. Sometimes the names look good on paper, but sound terrible when said out loud. And if it`s said out loud, make sure people aren`t confused about how it`s written. These methods don`t always tell you if a company uses your name as a registered LLC name, but they will let you know if they use it for their trademark (more on this distinction below). This is especially important if they provide similar services. Search USPTO.gov to see if you can get a trademark or service mark for the name. You can only use the word “business” in your business name if your business is a business. Here are 12 helpful suggestions on how to find a successful name for your business: As a general rule, your business name should end with the words “limited liability company,” “corporation,” or “limited.” Or you can use abbreviations such as “LLC,” “L.L.C.”, or “Ltd.” Usually, you can even choose to abbreviate the words “Limited” and “Company” to “Ltd.” and “Co”. (Most people simply stick to “LLC.”) The following table provides information about each state`s restrictions on the company name. While this list is not exhaustive, I hope it will give business owners a better idea of the words to be wary of when considering using them as part of a business name.
You`ve worked hard to come up with a name, logo, or slogan for your business. That is appropriate; it`s eye-catching; It`s perfect. But do you own it? The answer depends on several things. You can name your LLC as you wish, as long as it complies with your state guidelines. The advantage of naming a company after itself is that you can easily use that name to sell products or services you want in the future without brand confusion. It has the downside that the name could be limiting if you want to grow the business beyond yourself or sell it in the future. You may not give your LLC anything that is identical or too similar to the name of an existing LLC that is already filed with your state and, in some cases, in other states and internationally. Here`s how to tell if an LLC name is used outside of your state: According to the USPTO: A trademark includes any word, name, symbol, or design, or combination used or intended to be used in [interstate] commerce to identify products of a manufacturer or seller and distinguish them from products manufactured or sold by others.
and the origin of the goods.