How to register a business in Florida.
One of the top requirements to start a new business in Florida is to register your business or company first of all to the right government authorities. This process must be adequately completed to avoid issues with the Florida government in the future.
Thankfully, in this article, you will learn the processes and stages involved in the registration of businesses or companies in Florida.
Just stick around as we show you all.
6 amazing stages involved in the registration of a businesses in Florida.
The following below are the steps you must follow if you want to registerr or set up your new business in Florida.
Step1: Define the legal structure of your business.
The first step you should take while trying to register your business in Florida is to define the legal structure of your business.
Each structure comes with its pros and cons, so you have to put all the requirements, benefits, and drawbacks of each structure under consideration before settling for anyone. Also, the registration processes are different for each of the business structures, so you have to consider this as well.
The following are the 4 main business structures in Florida.
1. Sole Proprietorship.
A sole proprietorship is the basic business structure. If you start your business as an individual, it’ll be assigned to you by default, except if you pursue a different business structure. This is the business structure that involves just one person that runs his or her business alone.
2. Partnership
The partnership business structure is for businesses or companies with two or more owners. If you choose to structure your business as a partnership, you won’t be required to pay taxes, rather you will provide information return. Assets and liabilities will be passed onto owners in the future.
3. Limited Liability Company (LLC)
LLC is a business structure that makes room for several people to be included as owners. Limited liability protection is with pass-through taxation in this type of business structure.
4. Corporation
A corporation is the type of business structure that differentiates the actual owners from the company. In this structure, owners are referred to as shareholders and are not liable for liabilities, such as debts and business lawsuits.
The Shareholders are rewarded through stocks and dividends.
Step 2: Decide a business name.
After you have chosen the right structure for your business, the next step is to decide a suitable and unique name for your business.
To do this, think about the nature of your business and the message you want your brand to communicate to your customers or clients.
It is your business name that will give the first impression to your prospective customers and clients, so ensure you choose a name that suits the kind of goods you trade-in or the kind of services you offer.
Step3: Check business name availability.
Most times, the name you choose for your business might have been taken already. So, a business name availability search has to be conducted to be sure that no other business in Florida is operating under the same name.
To conduct a business name availability search, you have to carry out the following searches,
* Florida business name search, and
* Website domain search. (Hostinger.com)
Trademark search is the first step in verifying the availability of a Florida business name. All trademarks are registered at the federal level, and they are superior to state-level registrations.
So, you have to conduct a federal search to be sure your selected business name is not trademarked. If the name is already trademarked, you’ll have to choose a new business name. To carry out a federal trademark search, you have to visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website and use the search.
Florida business name search.
After the trademark search, the next phase is the business name search to verify the availability of your chosen business name. This has to be done at the Florida Department of State Search.
Once it has been verified that your chosen business name is not trademarked and is available for use in Florida, the next step is to search for the website domain to be sure that the .com version of your business name is not taken already.
With as little as $10, you can register your website domain name with hostinger, so it is advisable that you register your website to protect your business name from being used by someone else.
Step4: File your Florida business name registration.
At this point, the legal structure of your business will determine the processes needed to register your business name. The process to register the business name in Florida is different for the four (4) business structures that exist in Florida.
The following are the processes for registering each of the business structures.
Sole proprietorship
A sole proprietorship business does not have a legal difference between the business owner and the business. Thus, sole proprietors in Florida must run their business with their legal name or include their first name at least.
In a case in which a sole proprietorship business is done under a more brandable business name, then a Florida Fictitious Name has to be filed.
what is a fictitious name?
A fictitious name (also known as a“doing business as” or “dba”) is:
- a name other than your personal name, (different from your personal name) if doing business as a sole proprietor.
- Different from your entity’s legal name, if you have incorporated or otherwise formed a separate legal business entity. According to fictitious names Act, any person that wishes to carry on business under a fictitious name in florida must register it with florida department of state.
Partnership business. *
In Florida, partnerships must run their business under a business name that includes the last names of all the partners. For example, Godswill, Jason, Messi, and partners.
If you must operate under a different name, then you must file a Fictitious Name in Florida.
Before starting a business in florida, you probably will need to register with the Florida Department of State, the IRS and the Florida Department of Revenue. For businesses located outside of the State of Florida, evidence of registration with their Division of Corporations or Corporate Registry may be required.
After completing these steps, you may need to get a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, if your business falls within the category of businesses holding professional licenses.
Businesses within this category may employ or require individuals holding professional licenses as requirement for a business license. If you are only pursuing a professional license, you may not need to complete all of the additional steps listed on this checklist.
Business owners in this category may also wish to explore assistance offered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Corporations
In Florida, it is required that you file Articles of Incorporation with the Florida Division of Corporations in order to form a corporation. we have profit corporations and not for profit corporations in florida
A corporation must include a designator that clearly shows that the business is structured as a corporation. Examples of that are:
“Corp”
“Inc.”
‘Incorporated”
**Limited Liability Company (LLC)**
In order to register an LLC in Florida, you must file Articles of Organizations with the Florida Division of Corporations. You must include a designator that clearly shows that the business is an LLC. Examples of such designators are:
“LLC”
“L.L.C.”
“Limited Liability Company”
“Ltd.
you can fie the application online or you can mail application for company registration and payment to the Florida department of state. check out the frequently asked questions on limited liability company registration in florida
Step5: File a Florida Fictitious Name.
This step is only required if your business will be operating under a name that is not your legal name.
A fictitious name helps to brand your business more effectively.
Step6: Get a trademark.
To legally protect your business, you have to get a trademark. The process is straightforward and can be easily completed even without any second hand help.
The application to file for a trademark can be gotten from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s website.
Conclusion.
The process involved in the registration of a business name in Florida may seen difficult, but if you follow the steps we listed above in this article, you’ll find it very simple and straightforward.
We hope you’ve learned and gained insight from this informative article, thankfully, it will guide you through the journey of registering your business in Florida.
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