Use of a DBA, or "doing business as"

Perhaps the best reason for choosing a DBA is when the brand name of the business needs to be different from the incorporated name. For example, "Joe's Famous Hot dogs" might be one of the brand names, and therefore operated as a DBA, by a corporation incorporated as Joe Jones Enterprises, Inc.

The majority of states require a business with a DBA name to be registered, but the law does vary from state to state. You should also expect to be required to identify a DBA on any legal documents, including sales contracts, invoices, statements, delivery tickets, etc.

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