- [Narrator] A DBA, or doing business as,
is essentially a nickname for your company.
In Minnesota, a DBA is also called an assumed 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 Minnesota.
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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 to 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 look at the steps to forming a DBA
in Minnesota 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
Minnesota naming requirements.
For more details, check out our video,
How to Name Your Business in Minnesota,
or our naming guides, linked below.
Next, you'll want to make sure the name
is available in Minnesota.
The first and most important search
is with the Minnesota Secretary of State's online services.
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 Minnesota, on HowtoStartanLLC.com, linked below,
searching is free.
To learn more, visit Minnesota Naming Guides
linked in the description below.
After confirming your name is available in Minnesota,
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, register your DBA.
After you've chosen an available name,
you'll want to register your DBA.
For all business structures in Minnesota
registration is done through the state.
This can be done online
with the Minnesota Secretary of State,
or by filling out the Certificate of Assumed Name
and submitting it by mail or in person.
The following information is needed on the form.
The desired assumed name, the principal business address,
and the names and addresses of all assumed name owners.
Filing fees vary, so check out our pages linked below
for more detailed information.
Three, publish a notice for your DBA.
After filing, the Certificate of Assumed Name
must be published for two consecutive issues
in the Legal Notices section of a qualified legal newspaper.
The newspaper must circulate in the county
where the principal place of business is located.
This must be done before conducting business
under your assumed name.
Please see Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333, linked below,
for complete assumed name filing information.
And with that, you'll have a DBA in Minnesota.
Keep in mind that your Minnesota DBA
needs to be renewed by December 31st of each year.
You can either renew online
or complete the annual renewal form.
Option two, the second way to form a DBA
is to hire a professional service to create you DBA for you.
Hiring a professional service to file your forms
and do name searches will cost you an additional $50-$150.
However, there are several benefits to working with a pro.
A hired professional files your DBA for you,
keeps you up to date with your renewals,
and assist 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 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.
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.
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