Does Your Organization Need a DBA?
When you start a new business, you have to make lots of tough decisions. What equipment should you purchase? What space should you rent? How many employees should you hire? How should you secure financing?
Of course, these are not the only choices you must make while setting up your organization. You will also need to decide whether or not you should get a DBA.
What is a DBA?
A DBA (or doing business as) is a company’s assumed, fictitious, or trade name. It allows the organization to do business under a name other than its legal one.
Does Your Company Need a DBA?
There are two main reasons why your organization may want a DBA. They are:
To Make Your Company Appear More Professional
If you want your business to succeed, you have to appear professional to prospective vendors and clients. A DBA might be able to help you achieve that goal – particularly if you currently operate your organization as a sole proprietorship under your personal name.
For example, if you obtain a DBA, you will no longer need to enter into any contracts as John or Jane Smith. Instead, you will be able to use a formal company name like John Smith Roof Repairs or Jane Smith IT Services.
With a DBA, you will also be able to instruct clients to make payments out to your business name – rather than forcing them to use your personal name.
To Make Your Company More Marketable
Your organization’s name is its introduction to the world. If you plan to do business with multiple distinct markets, it may make sense to operate the company under more than one name.
For example, if you operate a shoe manufacturing business that produces both work boots and ballet slippers, you are likely to have trouble coming up with a name that appeals to both markets. Fortunately, you don’t have to. Instead, you can obtain a DBA that will allow you to run the work boot sector of your organization as San Diego’s Sturdiest Shoes and the ballet slipper sector as Southern California Ballet Boutique.
How to Get a DBA in California
To obtain a DBA in the state of California, you should follow these steps:
- Carry out a fictitious business name search. Your name must be unique.
- Register your fictitious business name with the county. An experienced business attorney in San Diego can assist you with this process.
- Publish a fictitious business name statement in a local newspaper within 30 days.
- File an affidavit of publication with the county or have your California business lawyer do so on your behalf.
From start to finish, the process of getting a DBA in California rarely takes more than three months.
Your Trusted California Business Lawyer
Do you need a knowledgeable business attorney in San Diego to help you get a DBA for your organization? Then please do not hesitate to reach out to the team at the Semanchik Law Group. We will be more than happy to walk you through the process. To get started, all you need to do is give us a call at (619) 535-1811 or contact us online.
