Setting Up a DBA in Massachusetts
A simple and relatively easy technique to market your business in Massachusetts is to file a DBA, or "doing business as," registration. A DBA allows you to establish an assumed name for your business. Otherwise, as a sole proprietor, you can only do business under your personal name. With a DBA, you can set up bank accounts and conduct other aspects of business under the new name. In Massachusetts, according to the official state website, DBAs are known as business certificates.
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Instructions
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Check the trademark database at the website of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division, to avoid choosing a name for your business that is already in use and trademarked.
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Obtain a business certificate form from the town clerk of the location in Massachusetts where you want to set up a DBA. Go to "Commonwealth Communities" on the Massachusetts state government site, Mass.gov. After clicking on the link to the town's website, click on the link to the town clerk's office, where you may be able to print a business certificate form. Some towns may not provide these forms online. In those cases, contact the clerk's office to find out how to obtain one.
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Fill out the business certificate form, listing the name of your DBA and the nature and location of the business. List all owners and their addresses. Sign the form at the bottom. If you are mailing in the form, sign it in front of a notary public.
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Attach a check for the registration fee. The amount varies from town to town in Massachusetts but is normally $50 or less.
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Mail the notarized form and the payment to the town clerk to finish setting up your DBA in Massachusetts.
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