- [Narrator] A DBA or Doing Business As
is essentially a nickname for your company.
In Indiana a DBA is also called an assumed business 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 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 Indiana.
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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 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 Indiana 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 Indiana naming requirements.
For more details,
check out our video,
How to name your business in Indiana
or our naming guides linked below.
Next you'll want to make sure
the name is available in Indiana.
The first and most important search
is with Indiana Secretary of State business 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 Indiana on howtostartanllc.com linked below.
Searching is free to learn more,
visit Indiana naming guides linked in the description below.
After confirming your name is available in Indiana,
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.
If your business is a sole proprietorship or partnership,
then you were required to file a certificate
of assumed business name
with the appropriate County recorder's offices.
Knowing which County to file in a simple.
You must file in any County where your business conducts
or transacts business.
DBA filing guidelines and fees can vary by County.
Contact your County clerk for the specific steps to file.
You can find your county's contact information linked below.
If your business is incorporated like an LLC or corporation,
you're required to file your DBA
with the Indiana Secretary of State.
You can print a copy of the certification
of assumed business name form and submit it by mail.
Or you can register your assumed name online
on Indiana's INBiz website.
If filing by mail,
the certification of assumed business name
must be notarized.
The application will ask you for your new DBA name
and information about your business,
such as the formation date,
the address where the company will do business
under the assumed name
and the principal office address.
Filing fees vary.
So check out our pages linked to below
for more detailed information.
And with that you'll have a DBA in Indiana.
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 higher professional files or 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 the 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'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 to below
and for a more detailed guide,
visit startupSavant.com.
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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.