Doing Business As (DBA) a Fictitious Business NameWhy do you want one and how do you get one?
A fictitious business name, assumed name, or DBA (short for “doing business as”), referred to as “trading as” in the UK, allows you to legally do business as a particular name at minimal cost, and without having to create an entirely new business entity. You can accept payments, advertise, and otherwise present yourself under that name. In fact, if you present your business under a name other than your proper legal name without proper notification, it may be considered fraud. Fortunately, filing for an assumed name is so easy and inexpensive, there’s really not much excuse for not filing one. Why would you want to file an assumed name? What does it let you do? DBA allows you as a sole proprietor to use a business name rather than your personal name. In some places you can use either your full name or part of your name plus a description of your product or service without filing an assumed name, e.g., Elena Garza Interior Design or J. Washington Investigataions. The exact rules vary fro
