Home Business Name and Home Business Review
Business Name
As your first task in this section, you need to state the business name. When naming your business, be sure to choose a name that does not conflict with an existing business. If your name is truly unique, consider making it a trademark. Visit the website of the Patent and Trademark Office, www.uspto.gov. A visit to this website will not only provide information about the trademark process, but also help you make a decision whether you need the help of a lawyer.
If you decide to hire a lawyer, contact your local bar association and ask for a referral to an intellectual property (IP) attorney. Whether you choose to trademark your business name or not, check business licenses filed with your local government, Fictitious Business Name statements filed with your local or state clerk’s offices, as well as phone directories and other public sources for existing businesses in your area. Avoid any name that might be confused with another business. In most instances, you will need to file a Fictitious Business Name Statement.
To verify the Fictitious Business Name requirements where you live, check with your city or county planning and development offices. In most cases, your city or county government will provide you with a consolidated checklist of all local requirements for a business. These checklists can be very helpful, and often provide additional information, such as how to do business with the city, county, or state.
Home Business Overview
The Business Overview section of your plan will include answers to these questions, as described in the subsections that follow:
• What does the business do or provide?
• Who or what does the business provide these service(s)/product(s) to? Are there specific industries or geographic locations that services are provided to, or are they offered to the public? Is the entity Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), or both?
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