Legal Name for Enterprise

When you`re starting a business, you spend a lot of time choosing the perfect name – but the name you choose may not be the name your business is known by which you are known. This is the difference between a trade name and a business name. A business name can also give you the freedom to try new lines of products or services under a different name without starting a new business. Company names often have abbreviations behind them, including LLC and Inc. Find out what these abbreviations mean and how an LLC differs from a corporation. In August 1998, Enterprise filed a lawsuit against car rental competitors Hertz and Advantage for similarities between the companies` slogans. [17] [18] In 1994, Enterprise adopted the slogan „We`ll pick up you up“. Four years later, the company felt that Hertz and Advantage were using slogans that imitated their own too much. Hertz denied the allegation, with the company`s deputy general counsel, David Parkoff, saying that Hertz „believes that it may use the English words `we`ll pick up you` and their variants in a descriptive/informative sense, as is currently the case, and that Enterprise`s claim to trademark rights in these words is misplaced and does not preclude such use.“ [18] As your business evolves, you may want (or need to) change your organization`s DBA name. Perhaps you are considering adding a new product line. Or maybe a partner has joined your company. Either way, sometimes you have to flip your business name around so that it matches the changes you make to your business. Choosing a business name under which to operate is an important step.

It takes trial and error, patience and time to choose the right name. Make a list of business names you like and do your homework to see if they can be used. If the name is already taken, go back to the drawing board. Deciding what to call your business isn`t as easy as it sounds. Your business name tells consumers a lot about your business. So you need a unique, memorable and catchy name. In some states, filings are made at offices other than corporations, LLCs, and other legal entities. The shapes can also be different. After you successfully complete the submission and obtain a fictitious name certificate, you can use your DBA name. If you are the owner of a partnership, the name of the partnership is usually a combination of the last names of the owners of the partnership and must be included in the partnership agreement. Once you`ve decided how to name your business and check its availability, register the name with your state.

Registering and conducting business under a DBA name is not the same as setting up a company or business entity. If you register a DBA without first holding yourself out as an LLC, corporation, or other legal entity, the state in which you do business recognizes your business as a sole proprietorship. One man`s vision is how the company`s story begins. In 1957, a decorated World War II Hellcat pilot returned home after serving over the skies of the South Pacific. This man, a true innovator named Jack Taylor, had an unwavering dedication to his country, his family and the dream of starting a business. A business name is the name by which your business is commonly known, or the name you use when doing advertising or doing business. A trade name is also known as DBA (doing business as). Walmart is a good example. Walmart`s legal trade name is Wal-Mart Inc., but its trade name is simply Walmart – that`s the name it uses in its advertising and website, and what most people call it.

Its official name, which appears on all documents in which the government is involved (corporate returns, taxes, compliance, etc.), is Wal-Mart Inc. Note that before filing your incorporation documents, you can perform a name search with the state to see if the name you want to use is available. You may be able to retain a name (for a fee) until you can submit your documents, but this is not a formal record of the name. Some states require you to reapply for the right to use your business name as your entry name in conjunction with your legal business name. It is important to keep abreast of these submissions so as not to inadvertently impede your ability to transact under your business name. Paying a fee every time could be a financial barrier to a business name separate from your legal business name. Registering a business name also means that you can have a bank account for both names. Whether a customer writes a check to Meema`s Auto Repair Inc. or simply to Meema`s Auto Repair, you can cash the check because the bank has your registration papers for both names.

Having a business name has certain advantages. This allows you to legally see what your customers might call your business, as they are likely to drop the designation „LLC“ or „Inc.“ By registering a business name, you can freely use the trade name without fear of misidentifying your business. Use your creativity. No matter what name you choose, you want to make sure it communicates what you`re doing in a fun and memorable way. If you find a business name that you can legally submit, make sure you have some backups in case your first choice is made. The business name can give you a little more choice, depending on where you are and what local and state laws allow. The biggest disadvantage of a trade name is that in most states, registering a trade name does not give you the exclusive right to use that name. If your official business name is Sandy`s Ice Cream LLC, but your business name is Yummy Ice Cream, any other company could also use that trade name. In some States, the first company to register a DTA has the right to do so.