When starting a new business, choosing an available name in your state is paramount. An effective way of doing this is conducting a business name search; this will show whether someone has already registered trademark rights for it. What do you think about names for business ideas.
Most states also prohibit certain words from appearing in business names to prevent confusion with other businesses or organizations.
BBB search
Consumers frequently rely on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) when researching businesses. When purchasing or signing contracts with unfamiliar firms – particularly mortgage lending or auto repair businesses – many will consult them before making decisions or signing contracts with unfamiliar ones. Unfortunately, not every business listed with BBB or with customer reviews makes determining its legitimacy more challenging.
Of course, even if your business isn’t BBB accredited yet, you can still receive a listing at no cost! The easiest way is to visit your local chapter’s website and look for a “Join/ Apply” link which should lead you to a generic one-page form asking for information about your business. Once submitted, a BBB representative will reach out shortly to initiate the listing process.
Remember that while a Better Business Bureau listing may provide a decent citation in search engines’ eyes, it doesn’t carry much weight regarding local SEO. On the plus side, having one can help your brand rank well when someone searches your name online, making the effort worthwhile.
Trademark search
Trademark searches are essential in any business to determine whether their trademark will interfere with existing businesses. A trademark search reveals a list of registered and pending trademarks and those not yet registered that have been in commerce for an extended period. A trademark attorney will analyze each mark against your signature to ascertain any similarities that might confuse; examine descriptiveness and goods/service identification before considering its association with specific products/services already associated with that mark.
A federal database search is typically the go-to option when conducting trademark research, using the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). This search examines existing federal trademarks and state registrations to find any potential conflicts with your mark; additionally, it checks other databases like Dun & Bradstreet business names or top-level domains/website names that could contain similar patterns.
If the trademark search indicates no conflicts, you should pursue your application for trademark registration. If your internal team lacks the resources for conducting exhaustive knockout investigations, consider hiring an outside firm specializing in knockout searches, as they will likely be better at performing these analyses than they are. They may have access to databases that search international classes more effectively and be familiar with national variations affecting trademark searches.
Domain name search
Domain search tools help you quickly locate available domain names and determine whether or not they’re registered or available for sale. They also give insight into who owns each domain name and whether their ownership status is good. With an intuitive user interface and helpful features like competitor analysis tools built right in, these search tools offer invaluable information about websites competing against your own.
A good domain name should be short, memorable, and SEO friendly, matching the branding of your business or product. Customers should find it easy to pronounce; numbers or hyphens may confuse when typing your website address; it is best to avoid them as they can be challenging for customers to remember and may cause further misinterpretation of what your website address says.
As well as conducting general domain name searches, you can also search ccTLDs (country code top-level domains). These two letter extensions indicate the region and language websites use – examples being.ca for Canada,.us for the United States, and. UK for United Kingdom sites.
Once you have found an appealing domain name, it is vitally important to safeguard it. Many registrars offer protection services that prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to it without your approval – an essential safeguard against others registering it and using it for their businesses. Protection services tend to be cost-effective investments that could save time when changing domain names becomes necessary.
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