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A business name is simply the name your business trades under. It’s the name you tell your customers.

Learn the difference between business names, trading names and legal names.

Make it easy to remember

Choose your business name with your customers in mind. A unique and catchy name is easy for them to remember. This helps them to recommend your business to others and search for it online.

Choose a name that is:

  • easy to pronounce and spell
  • short and simple
  • descriptive – so it means something to your customers
  • different to similar businesses – so customers don’t confuse you and your competitors.

Test it out first

It’s a good idea to get feedback on your business name from friends, family and potential customers. You want your business name to give them a positive image of your brand. Ask them if it:

  • might offend someone
  • has a negative meaning in other languages or cultures
  • is too specific to a product or place – in case you want to expand your business in the future. 

Check if you can use it

Before you register a business name, you should check if someone else has registered it, owns the trade mark rights to it or has used the name in their online branding. 

Search the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) business register to see if your proposed name is available to register.

You can’t use a business name that someone has registered as a trade mark. It could get you into legal trouble.

Registering a business name doesn’t mean you have exclusive rights to use it. If you want exclusive rights to your business name for use on your products or services, you need a registered trade mark.

Use IP Australia’s free TM checker to check if there's a trade mark similar to your proposed name. 

Use .auDA's search to find out if your proposed domain name is available.

Registering a domain name doesn’t give you any IP protection for that name. It just means you own the website address.

If you use a domain name that someone else has registered as a trade mark, you could face legal action.

Social media is an easy, affordable and effective way to promote your business and connect with customers.

You can check if there are social media handles (usernames) the same or similar to your proposed business using a range or tools found online.

Check if you need to register it

You need to register a business name if it’s different to your own name.

You pay to register your business name. You need to renew your registration every year or 3 years.

You don’t need to register a business name if:

  • you’re a sole trader and you trade under your own name
  • your partnership trades under the partners’ own names
  • your company trades under its legal name.

Even if your business name is the same as your own name, it’s a good idea to protect it with a trade mark.

Examples of when you need to register a business name

  • Tessa Le owns a cupcake business as a sole trader. Her legal name is Tessa Le. She wants to name her business Tessa Le’s Cupcakes.
  • Clare Smith and Ari Tilo run a plumbing business together, operating as a partnership. Their partnership’s legal name is Clare Smith and Ari Tilo. They want to name their business Clare and Ari’s Plumbing.
  • Alex Singh registered a proprietary limited company, Alex Singh Pty Ltd, with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). The company wants to operate under the name Ace Consulting.

Examples of when you don't need to register a business name

  • Charlotte Nand owns an accounting business. Her legal name is Charlotte Nand. She is happy to run her business as a sole trader under her legal name.
  • Chris Nguyen and Josh Bright have a building business together. The legal name of their partnership is Chris Nguyen and Josh Bright. They are happy to trade under their legal name.
  • Nic Garcia registered a proprietary limited company with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission with the legal name Nic Garcia Pty Ltd. The company will trade under its legal name.

If you want to change it later

You can’t change your registered business name, even if you only want to make a slight change. You need to register a new business name then cancel the one you no longer want to use.

Registering a new business name doesn’t change the legal name of your business or affect your contracts.

You can have more than one business name linked to your Australian Business Number.

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