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What Is a Fictitious Business Name?

The blog is helpful for those who want a fictitious name for their business. Read on to know more.

What is a fictitious business name? A fictitious name is a term apart from your legitimate business organisation name that you officially obtain authorisation can use when making transactions from the province (or area). A fictional trademark may also be known as:

  • Doing Business As (DBA)
  • Presumed name
  • Brand name

What Is the Use of a Fictitious Name?

States mandate bogus business names to be filed since they make the community learn who controls the corporation. A fictitious name registration makes the title of an Organisation and its operator public information.

A fictitious name helps folks understand who is ‘the guy (or woman) behind the veil’, to use a line from one of the favorite movies altogether, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, It protects the consumer against being duped into unwittingly making contact with someone or a company having a dubious image.

You are no longer concerned about coming up with a firm name. To find a list of available firms, use the Vakilsearch Company name generator.

Suppose you’re a sole owner or partnership agreement. In that case, a fictitious name can allow people to buy your business under another unique and interactive name than you’d usually use. In most jurisdictions, you won’t require a fictional name if you use your real private name together with a convenient shorthand to reflect the type of company you’re doing. For instance, if I wanted to open a coffee house with sole ownership, I’d have to call it ‘Ellen Akalp Coffee Corporation’,  Isn’t it a little cliched? However, with a fictional name recognised by the government, I might adopt a more creative name for my company, such as ‘Coffee shop Harmon’,

Remember that if I wanted to call my business ‘Nellie’s Espresso Shop’ and use my maiden name, I’d have to apply for a fictitious name. You must register for a DBA if your trademark does not include your last name.

A Corporation or company may also require or desire fictional names in particular circumstances. For example, for illustration, you’ll need a DBA if you wish to run and promote your products under various names from the one you filed your LLC or corporate as.

For example, if I established my company as an Organisation under the title ‘The Akalp Company, Ltd’,  I’d have to apply for a fictitious name for ‘Coffee house Harmon’ if I wanted to operate my coffee house under that title.

A Corporation or company can also use fictitious identities to run many enterprises without trying to invent distinct legal organizations for everyone. Suppose you want to create many eateries, department shops, or e-commerce platforms, for example. In that case, you may wish to form one business with a generic version and then register a DBA for every diner, business, or webpage.

The Advantages of a Fictitious Name

What are the advantages of registering a DBA? For example, it ensures that you follow the law. Failure to submit a business address as a fictitious name when legally required can result in penalties, the loss of the power to implement agreements, and possibly the closure of your company.

A Fake Name Also Has the Following Advantages:

  • It allows sole ownership or partnerships to save the effort and money of forming a legal entity to include a chosen business address. It allows you to create a respectable corporate identity with a title that will resonate with clients without having to go through the formalities of founding an LLC or registering your company
  • It allows lone entrepreneur or partnership members to establish a separate bank account to receive and make transactions on behalf of their company. Before processing your application to set up an account in your limited company, many institutions may obtain a copy of the registered DBA
  • It will allow you to keep spending under control and decrease the amount of administrative and regulatory work that comes with growing your LLC or company

Before Registering Your Fictitious Name, Consider the Following:

First, make sure the name is well-thought-out. Who would go to the trouble of registering a fictional name to find out it’s not what you want would best reflect your company? The following are some suggestions for coming up with a name that can help you develop a powerful brand image:

  • Think about how you want your fictional online business to be perceived. Would you like your chosen organization to have a relaxed and awesome vibe, a classic, educational, competent, welcoming tone, or something else? Choosing the appropriate name for your business will assist you in finding the proper clients.
  • Maintain a straightforward approach. A simple business nickname that clients can speak, write, and recall will gain growth in the market (and be discovered more quickly in web research) than one that is difficult to recall.
  • Stay away from linguistic and cultural prohibitions. Recognize that attempting to be humorous or trendy with your brand may boomerang. Not everybody shares the same sensitivity for provocative remarks or a similar warm personality. Request comments from friends, relatives, and representatives of your customer base before settling on a title.

This may assist you in avoiding losing business. Once you’ve settled on a title, check to see if another company in your region has already claimed it. If some other comparable business structure is already using the title, your attempt to establish your DBA will most probably be declined.

Also, while a DBA may deter other firms from utilizing your brand, it does not provide the same level of name security as establishing an LLC or registering. If that’s the case, you should consider seeking trademark rights for your brand to ensure that rivals won’t be allowed to use it.

Obtaining a Fictitious Name

One should register their DBA with their institution if they want to create new accounts in that company. Some states and municipalities provide a grace period since you first use the brand names, enabling you to register within a particular time frame. But, to avoid losing the deadlines, it’s essential to finish it as quickly as possible.

To apply for a fictional certificate of incorporation, you’ll need to fill out some documentation (typically a one-page document) and pay the remaining filing cost. DBAs must be applied for through a government entity, generally the Secretary of State’s department, in some jurisdictions. In some regions, you must register for forged documents with the county where your business is headquartered. Paperwork and charges differ from one state to the next and from one county to the next. As I previously stated, you may be required to issue a notification in your daily rag and then present evidence of publication to the city or region.

The period it takes for a DBA to terminate varies as well. A fictitious name in California, for instance, will last 10 years before something needs to be renewed.

To keep your DBA active in California, you must renew it every 5 years. Your fictitious name will be recognised in New York as soon as you manage your business. Where registration is necessary, your fictitious name can remain as much as your company if you reapply on schedule. On the other hand, refusing to reapply before the time puts your claims to your surname in danger.

Conclusion:-

Don’t overlook the significance of obtaining your fictional company name: https://www.mca.gov.in/content/mca/global/en/home.html. First, you must fully comprehend a fictitious name and how it can benefit your company. Your company name will serve as the cornerstone of your brand. Therefore, it’s essential to choose wisely. Reach out to Vakilsearch for more details.

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About the Author

Akash Varadaraj, Executive Content Writer, specializes in creating engaging, SEO-driven content that enhances brand visibility. With over four years of experience, he crafts impactful blogs, articles, and marketing materials across industries like legal, tech, and business services. Akash excels in simplifying complex topics, building trust and credibility for his clients.

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