DBA stands for "doing business as." Think of a DBA as an official legal name, under which your business is allowed to operate, that differs from your businesses registered name. Also known as an "assumed business name," DBAs are a means by which a company can operate under different brands as one company.
This can be very useful for certain types of businesses. A magazine publishing business, for example, may wish to sign contracts with advertisetrs under the titles of their publications, but manage funds under a single operating account. Registering a DBA for each title would allow for that.
Like with naming your business, a thorough business name lookup should be performed prior to registering a DBA.
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Filing & Registration Service Companies
The following companies offer new LLC filing and registered agent services across the country. In many cases, filing is free, plus state fees, with registered agent and other services being add-ons with associated fees.
You can file your LLC paperwork yourself, or you can choose to work with an LLC formation service like those listed above, but be sure you understand each point on this page going in. The companies listed are reputable companies, but surprises can occur if you don’t understand that each piece of the puzzle is often considered a separate billable service. Filing a new LLC does not automatically create an EIN, or grant state licenses or permits.
Decide on which state you will file in. If it’s your home state, decide if you will act as your registered agent or use a service.
Eathan Mertz
Serial entrepreneur with 25+ years of startup
experience. Co-founded first startup in 1998.
