5 Tips for Checking Business Name Availability – Branding 101 – 07

Checking the availability of your business name is important for an entrepreneur because it ensures that the business name you choose is unique and not already in use by another business. This is important for several reasons.

First, a unique business name can help your business stand out from competitors and make it easier for customers to remember and identify your business.

Second, using a business name that is already in use by another business could result in confusion among customers and potential legal issues if the other business decides to take action against you for using their name.

Third, registering your business name with your state’s Secretary of State office can help protect it from being used by another business in the future. This can give you peace of mind and ensure that your business name remains unique and identifiable.

Sometimes entrepreneurs skip checking at all, and other times they may perform only a cursory check. This is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped because most entrepreneurs put time, money, and effort towards marketing their new business under it’s chosen name. If a year or two down the road you’re required to change the name because you haven’t done your due diligence (and not because it’s a strategic choice), you’ve spent a lot of money and time (and time is money!) that has now gone to waste.

Here are 5 tips on ways you can check the availability of your chosen brand name:

Formal business structure

Start by checking the availability of your chosen business name on your state’s Secretary of State website. This will let you know if the name is already in use by another business in your state.

Domain names

Check to see if the domain name for your chosen business name is available. This will be important for creating a website for your business, and having a domain name that matches your business name can make it easier for customers to find you online. 

You also do simply do some Google searches for similar domains.  Or, you can use any of the sites where you can register a domain name – GoDaddy, NameCheap, Google Domains – and see what has already been taken.

Name taken? Pivot

Consider using a different business name if the name you want is already in use. You can try adding a location or descriptive word to your chosen name to make it unique, or come up with a completely different name altogether.

You can also revisit the list you made as part of your brainstorming session to find some potentially great alternatives.

Check for trademarks

Be sure to avoid using any words that are trademarked by another company. Using a trademarked word in your business name could result in legal action from the trademark owner.

You can do a free search with the US Patent and Trademark office.

Register your final name

Once you’ve found a business name that is available, be sure to register it with your state’s Secretary of State office to protect it from being used by another business.

You can register a DBA. Or better yet, establish an LLC or incorporate.

This will also make it easier for you to open a business bank account (which also requires an EIN number, which you can obtain for free from the IRS after you’ve registered or incorporated your business) and apply for any necessary licenses or permits.