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Swyft Filings is committed to providing accurate, reliable information to help you make informed decisions for your business. That's why our content is written and edited by professional editors, writers, and subject matter experts. Learn more about how Swyft Filings works, our editorial team and standards, what our customers think of us, and more on our trust page.
If you’re a future entrepreneur waiting to realize your business plan in Massachusetts, you must first go through several steps. One of them is naming your Massachusetts business with a distinctive and catchy name that your new customers will recognize in a heartbeat.
However, finding a business name for your Massachusetts company isn’t only about being creative. You must ensure that no other state corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or partnership within Massachusetts owns that name.
Fortunately, you can check this by conducting a Massachusetts business name search with Swyft Filings. It’s a cost-free commitment that takes only about an hour for results.
See if your company name is available in Massachusetts with our free business name search service. There is no cost or commitment on your part. We will email you within 1 hour to let you know if your name is available Alaska and how to reserve it today.
Key Takeaways
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has strict business naming conventions you must stick to for smooth business registration.
A Massachusetts business name search brings numerous advantages to your business.
After deciding on your Massachusetts business name, you can reserve it, apply for a DBA, create a domain name, and file your LLC with Swyft Filings.
Massachusetts’s Business Name Conventions
Before creating your business name, you must decide on your Massachusetts business structure. Each business entity structure has rules you must follow for a straightforward business name registration process.
If you’re looking to form a Massachusetts corporation, this is what criteria your company name has to satisfy:
Include words like “corporation,” “company,” “limited,” or “incorporated” or their abbreviations
Not imply that it’s established for purposes other than those stated in its Articles of Organization
Not be the same or similar to the reserved or registered business name, trade name, or trademark of another Massachusetts corporation, a foreign company allowed to operate within the state, a nonprofit company, a partnership, or a business trust[1]
As a future LLC owner, you have to abide by these Massachusetts naming rules:
Have “limited liability company,” “limited company,” or their abbreviations as a suffix
Be named after the business manager or member, if relevant
Not be the same or similar to another business entity operating within the state unless you obtain the necessary permits[2]
Benefits of a Massachusetts Entity Search
An LLC or corporation search in Massachusetts benefits your business in numerous ways, including:
Saving time: As a new business owner, every minute counts if you want to open your business as soon as possible. Moreover, researching countless business names in Massachusetts on your own isn’t easy, and you can make mistakes that’ll lead to even more time lost.
Avoiding legal issues: Checking whether a name is available in the Massachusetts database will prevent you from taking someone else’s business name. You can even see the names reserved with the Massachusetts Secretary of State, rarely an option when searching on your own.
Starting your business faster: Obtaining your business licenses will be much easier if you avoid unnecessary distractions such as legal conflicts and the amending of your Articles of Organization.
Gaining valuable information: With a Massachusetts business entity search, you can verify existing businesses for reasons other than just checking name availability. It’ll provide you with their address, contact information, legal information, and much more.
Next Steps
Once you’ve decided on the name for your Massachusetts business, you can reserve it. Additionally, you can create a website and a unique domain name for it or apply for a DBA. Once you’ve completed all that, you can file your LLC with Swyft Filings.
Complete Your Name Reservation
Business name reservations may seem unnecessary if you plan to register your business in a few days or weeks. However, there’s a chance you’ll finally get around to registering your desired business name, only to discover that your Massachusetts business name is no longer available.
Massachusetts business name reservation ensures that your name is ready when you are. It takes only a bit of effort but goes a long way.
As the Massachusetts Secretary of State website doesn’t offer online filing, you’ll have to download the form provided on the website and fill it out.[3] This is the information you need to write:
Your name as the applicant
Your physical address
The name you want to reserve
Your phone number
Your email address
The check number confirming that you’ve paid the filing fee of $30
Once you’ve done that, deliver it in person or send it to the office’s physical address:
Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1717,
Boston, Massachusetts 02108-1512
The reservation period lasts 60 days, giving you enough time to deal with other business-forming tasks. If you still need to compile other necessary paperwork during this time, you can extend the reservation period for another $30.
Choose a Domain Name
Creating a website for your Massachusetts business is necessary to allow your customers to reach you worldwide. But to ensure that your loyal consumers know that the website is yours, you’ll need to create a domain name that is easily recognizable, not too long, and won’t be hard to memorize.
Squarespace’s easy-to-use domain search tool can help you quickly find and register a domain name that matches your Massachusetts business. You can then choose from Squarespace’s flexible website templates, pre-designed layouts, and curated design elements to build a website — no coding required. Start your business with Swyft Filings and receive a free domain from SquareSpace for one year.
Consider a DBA
A DBA (“doing business as”) is a business name that you can operate under that differs from the one stated in your Articles of Organization. It’s a useful option for owners who want to name their business after themselves and sole proprietors who must.
It also allows you to operate multiple businesses without having to establish a separate Massachusetts LLC for each of them. In addition, some banks in Massachusetts require you to have a DBA to open a business bank account.
As a DBA is not a separate business entity, and there are no additional taxes for establishing one. The registration is also simple and quick. But most importantly, compared to the legal consequences of operating under a name that isn’t registered, applying for a DBA is worth it.
You must obtain a DBA certificate from the clerk’s office to file for a DBA in Massachusetts. It has to be the clerk from the city or town where your business operates. Then, provide the names and addresses of all the owners of your Massachusetts business. Pay a $1 fee and file the certificate.
File Your LLC Online
Once you’ve completed all the steps described above, you can start filing your Massachusetts LLC. You can save yourself the additional trouble of filling out tedious piles of paperwork by turning to Swyft Filings.
Our experienced professionals will do everything for you. You just need to complete a quick 10-minute questionnaire that tells us a bit about your Massachusetts business, and our team will deliver the documents to the Massachusetts Secretary of State for you.
After they’ve been approved, the complete LLC document package necessary to start your Massachusetts business will arrive in your mail.
If you need more help with your business, you can find additional services at Swyft Filings. We can help you apply for a DBA, file annual reports, obtain the Certificate of Good Standing, and change your business name.
Enter your desired Massachusetts company name to see if it is available with our free business name search.
FAQs
How do I find out if an LLC name is taken in Massachusetts?
You can find out whether a Massachusetts LLC name is taken by conducting an LLC name search with Swyft Filings free business name search.
What is the Massachusetts Secretary of State Business Entity Search?
The Massachusetts Secretary of State Business Entity Search is a search tool provided on the state’s Corporations Division website.[4] It allows you to look up companies by entity name, individual name, identification number, and filing number. You can search by the beginning of the word, an exact match, Soundex, or full text.
How do you look up an LLC in Massachusetts?
You can look up a Massachusetts LLC by its entity name, a person’s name, ID number, or filing number on the Massachusetts Secretary of State website. You’ll get information about its name history (if any), date of organization, fiscal day, physical address, contact information, information about the registered agent, officers, and directors, and annual reports.
What is the cost of a Massachusetts entity search?
A Massachusetts entity search is completely free.
What are the benefits of forming an LLC in Massachusetts?
There are several benefits to forming an LLC in Massachusetts:
Securing personal assets: By forming a Massachusetts LLC, you’ll be able to enjoy the protection it brings to your personal assets, meaning your business debts will only affect your business, not your personal belongings.
Tax breaks: With a Massachusetts LLC, you can reap all the benefits of local tax breaks, like life insurance and self-employment taxes.
Flexible profit distribution: With an LLC in Massachusetts, you can choose between various ways of distributing your profits, unlike other entity types.
How can I find a person’s address for a business in Massachusetts?
You’ll find a person’s address and other detailed information about their Massachusetts business by searching for it on the Secretary of State’s website.
Bibliography
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “Corporate Name.“ Accessed May 24, 2023.
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “Name of Limited Liability Company.“ Accessed May 24, 2023.
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “About Name Reservations.“ Accessed May 24, 2023.
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “Search for a Business Entity.“ Accessed May 24, 2023.
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