A fictitious business name, is a formal declaration that an individual, company or organization is conducting business under a different name. Fictitious business names are also commonly referred to as a DBA’s, doing business as, assumed business names and trade names. All these terms mean the same thing. If you have decided on a business name and find out that someone else already has that name, you may still be able to register it if you are in a different industry or trade. The benefits of registering a DBA include giving business owner(s) the ability to…

• Legally publish name in advertisements, including phone books and business cards.
• Discourage competitors from using your business name.
• Establish name recognition and have a name that reflects goods sold or services provided.

More Reasons… Since filing a DBA is relatively quick and inexpensive there’s no excuse for not doing it. You should not conduct business under your fictitious business name until you have filed your DBA statement. Also, most banks won’t allow you to open an account until they have seen proof that the DBA has been filed.