- [Narrator] A DBA or Doing Business As
is essentially a nickname for your company.
In Arkansas, a DBA is also called a fictitious name
at the state level, or an assumed name at the county level.
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 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'll go over the steps you need to take
in order to form a DBA in Arkansas.
(soft 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 Arkansas
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
Arkansas naming requirements.
For more details, check out our video
how to name your business in Arkansas
or our naming guides linked below.
Next, you want to make sure the name
is available in Arkansas.
The first and most important search
is Arkansas Secretary of State business entity search.
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 Arkansas on how to start an LLC.com linked below.
Searching is free.
To learn more visit Arkansas naming guides
linked in the description below.
After confirming your name is available in Arkansas,
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 requiring it.
Two, register your DBA.
After you've chosen an available name,
you'll want to register your DBA.
In Arkansas registering a DBA for a sole proprietorship
is a different process than every other business structure.
Let's first look at registering a DBA
for a sole proprietorship.
A sole proprietorship is a business
owned by a single individual that isn't formally organized.
If you run a business
and file taxes under your own name,
you are a sole proprietor.
If your business is a sole proprietorship,
then you are required to file an assumed name form
at the county.
You can find your County's contact information
and the assumed name form link to below.
If your business is a general partnership,
LLC, or corporation you need to file your fictitious name
with the Arkansas Secretary of State.
After registering with the state,
these businesses must deliver a copy of the registration
to their local county clerk.
You can file online or print a copy
of the application for fictitious name form
to submit by mail or in person.
The application will ask for your new DBA name
and information about your business
such as the owners entity type,
a description of the type of business,
and the business's address.
Filing fees vary so check out our pages linked below
for more detailed information.
And with that you'll have a DBA in Arkansas.
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.
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 assist with publications.
DBAs or Doing Business As
are also known as trade names, assumed names,
or fictitious names of a business.
In formal 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're 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 and starting your small business.