Choosing the right name for your Nebraska LLC can make a world of difference. You want to choose the best name from the beginning so you can build a brand and a reputation customers will know they can look to and trust. Customers will come back to a company they trust, and you want to give them a sense of continuity.
Unfortunately, choosing a name for a business is a lot more complicated than simply picking the name you like the best. Besides finding a name you like, you will also need to make sure that your name is unique, file with the Secretary of State, and then protect your chosen name. Failure to follow the steps correctly can lead to legal problems, including lawsuits.
There are several reasons you will need to search before you decide on your new name:
The Nebraska Secretary of State maintains a helpful website explaining name procedures and a corporate and business search page. If you want to search on the website, you will either need to be a Nebraska.gov subscriber or pay $15/100 records. Other places allow you to search for free, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
There are legal guidelines for naming your LLC in Nebraska. The most important thing is that the name identifies your business as an LLC, so it will need to have “LLC,” “L.L.C.”, or “Limited Liability Company” in the name.
Along the same lines, you cannot use words in the name that are confusing or misleading. If you use certain restricted words, you may need to provide extra paperwork proving that your business is qualified.
Try different search options to make sure that you are getting accurate results. The Secretary of State’s Corporate & Business search will pull up information on all entities, trademarks, and service marks registered in the state of Nebraska. There are multiple ways you can search:
3. You should try the same search several different ways to make sure you find everything relevant. Even if the name passes minimal requirements, it is still better to have a name that stands out.
4. Review your results. Are there already businesses with names similar to yours? Are you getting any ideas of what might work better, considering what kinds of names are already registered?
5. You can reserve the LLC name for $30. If you also want a DBA, it will cost you $110 to register by mail and $100 online.
Once you have a name you like, that is available, you need to decide how you are going to protect it. Here are 3 of the main ways you can preserve and protect the name of your LLC:
Choosing the name of your LLC is just one of the most important steps. There are legal and tax implications to the choices you make, so you want to make sure that you get everything right the first time.
Tailor Brands is passionate about helping people build and grow their businesses. We can assist with over 20 different business services, including web hosting, tax services, insurance, and trademark. Our registered agents can act on your behalf when it comes to receiving legal documents. Don’t wait to start living out your dreams when we can help you get started today.
You need to make sure that your new business name is unique to avoid confusion and legal problems.
There are several places you can check for name availability, including the State of Nebraska website, U.S. Small Business Administration, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
You can reserve your LLC name in Nebraska for just $30.
Registering your DBA can give your business important advantages in several areas, such as being able to use the name in ads and engage in financial transactions under that name.
A DBA is a chosen name under which you do business. Many people choose a simpler name instead of the one that includes the LLC designation. Using a DBA creates a separate business entity, allowing you to use the name in social media and advertising. You can also get a checking account and do other financial transactions under your DBA.
The name must specify that the business is an LLC (by including LLC, L.L.C., or Limited Liability Company) in the name. The name cannot be misleading, and you may need to provide extra paperwork if you use certain restricted words.
You cannot use a name that is already taken, and you don't want a name that could be confused with another business. You could try to buy the name from the person who owns it, but you might prefer to get creative and make your name more unique.
You may end up wanting to change the name of your LLC. If you do that, you will need to go through the process again of ensuring that the name is unique, after which you will need to file an amendment with the Secretary of State.
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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