In the business world, a "doing business as" (DBA) name is a crucial tool. It allows you to operate under a different name than your official business title.
Olivia Lewis, a business attorney, recently shared her insights on DBA names with CNN Underscored. Entitled "DBA Registration: How to File a DBA in 2024," the article underscores the crucial decision of selecting a business name and guides readers through the DBA registration process. It features insights from Olivia, who highlights the advantages of using a DBA:
"Say you have a farm, and you register your farm as Jones's Farm, LLC. You might have a line of berries and you want to call that line Jones's Best Berries. But then you also have a farm stand and you mostly sell eggs and greens, and you want it to be Jones's Green Eggs and Ham," Lewis said. You can make that distinction with a dba.
Your dba also isn't something you have to explicitly announce. For instance, Lewis uses the example of sole proprietor and fashion influencer Caley Johnson. If she was doing business as Caley's Classic Clothes, she wouldn't have a business card saying "Caley Johnson dba Caley's Classic Clothes." Yet, if she was filling out a licensing form or other legal document, she would fill in her name and then Caley's Classic Clothes on the doing business as line.
The article also discussed the pros and cons of DBA registration, including aspects like legitimacy, branding, cost, and liability protection. Overall, the article serves as a comprehensive guide for businesses considering registering a DBA and offers valuable insights into the advantages and considerations associated with this process. To delve deeper into this topic, visit CNN Underscored for the full article.