Choosing a Name for Your LLC

Selecting a name for your business is one of the most important and often challenging aspects of starting a new LLC.

With so many things like business licenses and permits, LLC registration, and more already on your mind, coming up with a name for your business can be stressful.

You want to make sure that your LLC name is unique and relates to your products or services as much as possible. It should be easy to pronounce and remember, and most importantly, it has to meet the legal naming requirements of your state.

So, how are you planning to come up with a business name? To make things easier, we have a few valuable tips that are sure to help.

Meeting the Legal State Requirements

When thinking about a name for your LLC, you first need to make sure that the name you select matches the naming requirements of your state. In most of the states, there are some restricted words which you cannot use in a business name. Similarly, there can be some mandatory words too.

For instance, in a lot of states words such as “insurance”, “certified”, “federal”, and “bank” cannot be used in an LLC name. The states generally maintain a list of such restricted words on their Secretary of State website. Go through this website first to know about the words which you cannot use in your LLC name.

With regards to mandatory words, most of the states require you to add “LLC” or “Limited Liability Company” in your LLC name.

After going through the list of restricted and mandatory words, you can then start thinking about the name. 

Choosing the Perfect Name for Your LLC

Here are a few tips to make the selection easier:

Understand Business Foundation

While you might be having several options in your head, the easiest way to come up with an LLC name is to review your business foundation. You can go through your business plan, mission statement, and your USP to come up with something that easily relates to your business.

Also, consider your target audience when thinking about the name. Focus on the type of audience you want to target and what you want them to feel and think when they hear your business name.

Select a Name That Is Memorable and Meaningful

It is essential to ensure that your LLC name is something that people can easily remember. Having a memorable name is crucial as it is possible that your customer or client will prefer you over your competition if they remember your name. The name should also be easy to pronounce and not too long unless it is necessary.

Your LLC name will also play an influential role in your marketing strategies. So, prefer something meaningful rather than something that is just fun and engaging. Just by listening to your LLC name, people should understand what type of products or services you offer.

Be Unique

A lot of times, uniqueness becomes more important in comparison to being meaningful and memorable. This is often the case for businesses that have a lot of competition. Your LLC name should be something that makes you stand out from the competition.

With advertising channels and modern media getting increasingly popular, you do not want your LLC to be one among hundreds of companies with similar names. So, try to be unique, and if that requires you to select a name that is not very meaningful, you should still go ahead if that makes business sense.

Consider Your Future Business Goals

When naming your LLC, you should also consider what you’d like to do with your business a few years down the line. A lot of enterprises expand to other states after setting their foot in the state of their initial registration. If you have similar plans, do consider the same when selecting a name for your LLC.

For instance, California Rentals can find it very difficult to rebrand itself if it decides to expand to another state in the future. So, avoid selecting something that can result in problems down the line.

Think About Your Online Presence

After registering your LLC, you will surely want to create a business website and also promote it on social networking platforms. When selecting the name, do a quick search to see what domain names you can get for your LLC. It is possible that someone might already have a domain name registered to that name.

Similarly, also go through the popular social platforms to make sure that your LLC name or some variant of the name is available for creating social pages.

Check Name Availability

By now, you might already have a few good name options for your LLC. Note that it is possible that a business might already have an exactly similar or almost similar name in your state. In such cases, you will not be able to go ahead with the name.

In most of the states, you can now check the availability of business names online. Check the Secretary of State website to know more about this.

To make the search easier, we’ve created a step-by-step guide on how to check for business name availability across all 50 states. Here is the Link (Opens in new tab).

Also, check the trademark database of the US Patent and Trademark Office. While the name you are planning to select might be available in your state, it is possible that some US company might already have a patent or trademark on that name.

Examples of Good vs Bad LLC Business Names

• The Google Marketing Services LLC – Bad, Infringes trademark of Google.
• STD Contractors LLC – Really bad, offensive/inappropriate
• Best Alaska Landscaping Contracts LLC – ok but not that great. Too long and boring
• Alaska Landcapers LLC – Great name, short and sweet.
• Epic Web Media LLC – Good name

Conclusion

Coming up with a good LLC name is worth the effort and time as it can significantly impact your future business. The name will help you create a brand and play a significant role in helping you achieve your business goals.

So, rather than selecting something random, use the tips discussed in this post to come up with a great LLC name. Even if this requires you to spend a lot of time and efforts, do it as it will all be worth it in the end. You can also consult your family, friends, employees or clients and they might help you come up with something that ticks all the right boxes.  

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source https://businessentity.org/learning-center/choosing-a-name-for-your-llc/