Before creating a Michigan LLC, all firms should do a Michigan Business Name Search.
In this MI Secretary of State Business Search tutorial, we’ll teach you how to verify LLC name availability.
Go Ahead:
Use the Michigan Naming Guidelines.
Perform a Michigan Business Name Search and Look for Available Domain Names
Reserve Your Michigan Company Name
Table of Contents
Image: Michigan LLC Name Search
1. Follow Michigan Naming Guidelines for Entities
Before finishing your business name search, we suggest double-checking that your company name complies with the standards.
The first and most significant step in forming your LLC is deciding on a name. Make sure your name conforms with Michigan naming regulations and is readily searched by prospective customers.
Please adhere to the following naming guidelines:
The word “limited liability corporation” or one of its acronyms must be in your name (LLC or L.L.C.).
Your name cannot include terms that might be confused with a government entity (FBI, Treasury, State Department, etc.).
Restricted terms (e.g., bank, attorney, university) may need extra documentation and the participation of a licensed professional, such as a doctor or lawyer, in your Michigan LLC.
2. Conduct a Michigan Business Name Lookup
You may utilize the Michigan Business Entity Search to examine available LLC names in Michigan before completing your name reservation request. To conduct the most effective search, enter the desired name, eliminating identifiers such as “LLC,” and leave all other fields blank. This will return any entities with names that are the same or similar.
If your company name consists of many words, you may limit your search to the first two words to guarantee that you find all potential comparable names.
3. Look for Available Domain Names
Another crucial factor to consider when choosing a company name is if the desired web domain name is available. It is critical to have a URL that properly reflects your company name. This apparently little activity may have a significant impact on how potential clients locate your company.
4. Reserve the name of your Michigan business entity.
All LLC name inquiries and requests are handled by Michigan’s Secretary of State Corporations Division. For the six months after the month of filing, business names may be reserved.
You must complete an application online or by mail to reserve a company name. Applicants may also submit their applications through email ([email protected]) or fax (517) 241-0538. If you email or fax your application, you must use this form to establish a MICH-ELF account.
You must pay a filing fee while reserving your name. Checks should be made payable to the “State of Michigan.”
Other Factors to Consider
While reserving the name for your LLC is simple, there are a few more factors to consider while deciding on the right name for your company. You should do a Trademark and Social Media search for your name to see if it is accessible for usage on the internet. This will assist guarantee that you have complete and unlimited usage of your company name.
Search for a Trademark
Before registering your company name and related slogans or emblems, do a trademark search to avoid potential expensive lawsuits. The discovery that another entity has trademarked your company name does not immediately exclude you from utilizing it.
However, it is critical to understand who is using the name, what sector they are in, and where they are situated in order to avoid unwittingly infringing on anyone’s intellectual property rights.
To finish this step:
Conduct a Michigan trademark search to determine whether your company’s name or any related slogans, logos, or other identifiers are already in use by another company in your state.
Search the digitized records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office for any federally registered trademarks linked with your company name.
Search on Social Media
Finding a domain name that matches your company is just as vital, if not more important, than ensuring that your business name is accessible for usage across social networking platforms. You may do this by simply Googling your company name on each major website, or by using a service like Namecheckr to scan across all platforms at once.
In conclusion
Choosing a name for your company is a vital first step in forming a successful LLC, and it is a simple process. After you’ve discovered your ideal name using the Michigan Business Entity Search, you’ll want to obtain your domain name so that your clients can find you online. Using an Application for Reservation of Name to reserve your name can help you stand out from the crowd. With your name acquired, you may proceed to the following stages in the formation of your Michigan LLC.