How to Search for Registered Corporate Names

Corporate names are the domain of the secretary of state. Two options may be available from the Secretary's office. One is to reserve a corporate name for a brief period of time. The second is to file as a corporation in your state.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The SS4 form from the IRS to get a FEIN
• A binder for your corporate records

1. The first task is to locate the website for the secretary of state of your state. Look for the business services area. Obviously, this will vary from state to state. Your other choice is to call the secretary of state office and try to get a live person to help you.

2. The website should offer the ability to search for corporate names already in use or reserved by others. If someone has locked up the name you want for your business, you are out of luck until that company goes out of business.

3. If you find no other business using the name you have chosen, you may reserve it or register it as a corporation in your state. You don't have to hire an attorney to do this since it is a pretty simple filing.

4. While you are investigating a business name, it might be a very good idea to see if you can secure a matching URL for your business website. You can play with the URL name, use abbreviations, or adjust for your website since it need not perfectly match your corporate name.

Tips & Warnings

• You can think of variation on the name you want if your first choice is already taken.
• If you file a corporation, you will also want to get a an FEIN from the IRS using the provided SS4 form.
• You cannot file a corporation name using an existing trademark (like Coca Cola) without infringing on their ownership rights.
• Think also of "Branding" your name early in the game. You want something that you can actively market.

Resources

• Green Clean Institute
• Green Business League