Register Your Name
“Names have power.”
~ Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
Once you have:
- Determined your business structure
- Decided on a business name, and
- Purchased your website domain
It’s time to register your business name so you can legally operate.
NOTE: If you are in the exploration phase of your business and haven’t decided on a business name yet, I would recommend waiting until after Week Four when we cover branding to actually register your name. This will make sure your name is consistent with the brand you want to build. Use this time to brainstorm and come up with options. If you have made up your mind, here are the instructions on how to register your business name.
Registering your Business Name
In British Columbia the main website for the entire registration process can be found here–> http://www.bcbusinessregistry.ca
Registering your business name is a two-step process, outlined below:
1) Submit your business name for approval
https://www.bcregistrynames.gov.bc.ca/nro/
Some things to remember:
- You can choose up to three name options. Write them down in rank order as they will approve the first one that clears.
- Your legal business name generally needs to consist of two parts – something distinctive and something descriptive
In my experience it only takes a few days to hear back on the status of your request. However, when you submit, they will let you know how long you can expect to wait for a response.
Current cost in the province of BC is $31.50
2) Register your Approved Business Name
http://www.bcbusinessregistry.ca/registrations.htm
Your approved business name will come with a confirmation number, you will need that number when you go to the above link and register your business name. You have 56 calendar days to complete the registration process. If you let that time lapse, you need to go back and resubmit for a name approval with the province.
Current cost in the province of BC is $40.00
Action Item:
If you have not done so already, try to decide on your business name and begin the process of registration.