- A DBA, or Doing Business As,
is essentially a nickname for your company.
In Alabama, a DBA is also called a Trade Name.
DBAs are a great way to rebrand your company name,
to add new brands to your company,
or to change your company name completely.
For sole proprietors and partnerships,
DBAs offer the ability to operate under a name
that isn't the business owner's surname.
For more information on the specifics
of what a DBA is and how it can be used,
check out our other video, linked below.
In this video, we will go over the steps
you need to take in order to form a DBA in Alabama.
(uplifting music)
There are two ways to form a DBA.
You can do it yourself,
or you can hire a service to do it for you.
Let's take a look at both options
and help you decide how to go about
forming your own DBA.
One, do it yourself.
If you want to save money, you can form a DBA on your own.
Let's take a look at the steps to forming a DBA
in Alabama on your own.
One, complete name searches.
When determining what you want your DBA name to be,
you'll want to make sure you follow
Alabama naming requirements.
For more details, check out our video,
"How to Name Your Business in Alabama"
or our naming guides linked below.
Next you'll want to make sure
the name is available in Alabama.
The first and most important search
is with the Alabama Secretary of State's
Business Entity Records.
If the name is not available,
you'll have to adjust your name or use a different one.
We provide instructions to search your business name
in Alabama on howtostartanllc.com, linked below.
Searching is free.
To learn more visit Alabama Naming Guides,
linked in the description below.
After confirming your name is available in Alabama,
we recommend doing a domain search
to see if your name is available as a URL.
Even if you don't plan on making a website today,
we recommend buying your domain
in order to prevent others from acquiring it.
Two, start operating under your DBA.
After you've chosen an available name,
Alabama requires that you start operating
under your trade name before you can register it.
So, if you'd like to register
and protect the trade name in Alabama,
you need to start using it right away.
Alabama will require three specimens
of your trade name being used.
Such specimens can include business cards,
brochures, flyers, labels, decals, et cetera.
Specimens must be unaltered and legible.
The trade name application will ask where
and when you used the trade name for the first time,
so make sure you have record of that as well.
Three, register your DBA.
After confirming your name is available
and operating under your trade name,
you'll want to register your DBA.
For all business structures in Alabama,
filing is done through the Secretary of State.
You can file online
on the Alabama Secretary of State's website,
or you can complete the application
to register or renew a trade name form
and submit it by mail or in person.
The application will ask for your desired trade name
and information about your business,
such as, how the trade name will be used,
the mark type, for example trademark,
service mark, or trade name,
the date the name was first used
and the state it was first used in,
the date the name was first used in Alabama specifically,
and some examples of the name being used
in your business.
Filing fees vary, so check out our pages linked below
for more detailed information.
And with that, you'll have a DBA in Alabama.
Keep in mind that your Alabama DBA
needs to be renewed every five years.
You can either renew online or complete the trade name
registration or renewal form
and turn it in by mail or in person.
Option two, the second way to form a DBA
is to hire a professional service
to create your DBA for you.
Hiring a professional service to file your forms
and do name searches
will cost you an additional 50 to 150 dollars.
However, there are several benefits to working with a pro.
A hired professional files your DBA for you,
keeps you up to date with renewals
and assists with publications.
DBAs, or Doing Business As,
are also known as trade names,
assumed names, or fictitious names of a business.
Informal business structures
like sole proprietorships and partnerships
can use DBAs as their business name instead
of their surnames.
Formal business structures,
like LLCs and Corporations, can use DBAs
as a means to rebrand their name, add new brands,
or change the name they are using as their business name.
DBAs are not a business structure
and are not separate legal entities.
They also do not provide asset protection
or liability protection to informal business structures.
For state-specific guides on how to form a DBA,
check out the pages linked below.
And for a more detailed guide, visit startupsavant.com.
(uplifting music)
Give the video a like if you found it useful
and subscribe if you'd like to see more.
And if you have questions or encounter any roadblocks,
leave a comment below.
Good luck in starting your small business.