All the ideas for your business are coming together. Now it’s time for one of the most crucial decisions – naming your business. Coming up with a list of business names is exciting, but it can also be a little scary.
Remember, the name you ultimately choose will be how your future customers see you for years to come. Therefore, the name needs to represent your brand well and resonate with those who are looking for your products or services.
Phew, you chose the perfect name and tested it out, and everyone loves it. It’s too bad you can’t just use it, at least not yet. Before you submit your Articles of Organization to start your LLC in Iowa, you need to make sure the name you want to use is unique and available. What you need to do is a business entity search.
Imagine you want to name your business “XYZ Industries,” but there’s already an “XYZ Industries” in Iowa; it could be confusing, right? That’s why Iowa requires all businesses to have unique names that follow specific guidelines.
But don’t worry. Iowa makes it easy to check which names are currently in use in the state, and you can do it right from your computer for free!
Before diving into the business entity search, it is a good idea to be aware of the LLC naming restrictions as they appear in UNIFORM LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ACT, §489.112.
Don’t stress out; there aren’t many, and they are pretty obvious.
Iowa Naming requirements:
To get started with your name search, go to the Business Entity Search tool on the Iowa Secretary of State website.
You should see this:
Don’t worry about the Business Number search bar. You only need to search for the Business Name.
Type your name exactly as it will appear on the Article of Organization. For example, “XYZ Industries, LLC” Hit the “Search” button, and you will see this:
Since there are no businesses with the exact name you chose, congratulations, you are free to use it. However, if you search for “Chef Tony’s LLC,” you will see this:
There are already two similar, but not exact, matches for that name, and both are still active. While you could still use the name “Chef Tony’s LLC,” it may be confusing for your future customers. It’s your business, your choice.
If you are curious to know more about each of the listed businesses to help you make a decision, you can click on its business number to see extensive details, including date of filing, address, registered agent, corporate filings, and much more.
You can sort the results based on “Status” and “Type” by clicking on the header in the results. The “Status” will be either “Active” or “Inactive,” while the “Type” could be “Legal” for the legal name of the business, “Fictictious” if a business registered one name and is doing business under another, or “Reserved” if the name is protected by a business, but not yet used.
Now, what happens if the exact name you wanted already existed? You’re out of luck! But there are a few clever ways to get around it! For example, you can add a space between letters or a number to the name. Check out this helpful guide for Understanding Name Availability in Iowa for more hints and restrictions.
Now that you have an available name you like, the only thing left to do is to use it to file your Articles of Organization, right? Wrong. You may want to consider:
Not ready to start your business right away, but don’t want someone else to use that perfect name? Then you had better reserve it. Reserving a name protects it from someone else using it for up to 120 days. You can reserve the name using the Fast Track Filing website, but you will need to register to use the account.
Most customers find new businesses online, so it is a good idea to have a website. To avoid confusing future customers, you should have a domain name that is the same as the name of your business. You can search for and purchase a domain name from lots of online service providers, but GoDaddy is a good option.
How to do it? Go to godaddy.com and search for the name you want to use in the search bar. It is a good idea to use a .com extension since that is the most common. If your name is available, you can purchase it.
While trademarking your business’s name may not be a step everyone needs to take, it can give you peace of mind that no one else in the US can use your name. It is an expensive option, with a $350 filing fee, but if you are interested, you can start the process on the USPTO website.
An Iowan business entity search is necessary before filing for your new LLC to ensure your application isn't rejected because there's already another business with the same name in Iowa.
The fastest way to check if your preferred business name is not already in use is by searching for it on the Iowa Secretary of State website's Business Entity Search tool.
In Iowa, it costs $10 to reserve an LLC name for a period of 120 days.
Yes, if you use a DBA, you must register it. The cost is $5.
Generally, the guidelines for naming your LLC require the inclusion of some form of Limited Liability Company in the name. There are also restrictions on using a name that the average person may interpret as a government agency. Read Understanding Name Availability in Iowa for more information.
If the name you want has already been taken, you will need to come up with a different one.
Believe it or not, finding an available name you love is just the first step in starting a business. Now, you have to begin the journey of filing your LLC with the state. It’s a complex process, but you don’t have to do it alone.
This portion of our website is for informational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and none of the information on this website constitutes or is intended to convey legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos.
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