
State Resources for Registering Your BusinessįindLaw has made it easy for business owners to register their businesses. A registered agent is a person, or corporation (there are some businesses that provide resident agent services if you do not have someone), who will accept service on behalf of the business, or any other compliance-related documents sent to the business. You can do this yourself through the forms provided on the state's website or have an attorney file the proper business forms for you.įor all business filings, you must also include a registered agent. Registering your business (or with some states, filing to hold your name) with the Secretary of State will ensure the name you want for your business is all yours. For most states, you can do this through the Secretary of State's business search database. Once you've chosen a name - or a few names - you'll need to check business name availability with the appropriate state agencies. The company name may say something about the type of legal entity or business structure (LLC, LLP, or Inc.).It may include the name of the business owners.It may describe the type of business activities your company engages in.The name you choose for your business provides some immediate business information for your potential customers. We have also provided a table of state-specific resources below. The Small Business Administration ( sba.gov) has resources to help new business owners get off on the right foot. In the alternative, if you already have your business registered and wish to operate under a fictitious business name, you can register a different name as "doing business as" (DBA). If you're starting a small business, one of your first considerations is choosing and registering your business's name.
