Make sure to search it on the internet to see if other persons are using the name. If others are using the name, you may incur legal consequences if you use the same or very similar name. Consult an attorney to find out the legal consequences of using a name that is owned by or used by others. Also make sure it fits the Arizona Corporation Commissions Naming Standards. Small tip: punctuation symbols aren’t allowed.
| Need help coming up with an idea? Try this Business Name Generator by Shopify
Check legal availability for Arizona on ecorp.AZCC.gov/EntitySearch
Check domain name and social media username availability on NameChk.com
Purchase a Domain Name - i.e. ‘myarizonabusiness.com’. I recommend Google Domains or NameCheap.com. They are not the cheapest, but they both offer free privacy.
Not ready to file your Articles of Organization and form a legal entity? You have options:
Reserve a Name for 120 days with Arizona on AZCC.gov — Cost: $35-$45.
Register a Trade Name for 5 years with the Secretary of State on AZSOS.gov — Cost: $10 online. Existing Trade Name Search.
What is a Trade Name? Filing a trade name registers a business name for public record. A trade name is similar to a “doing business as” (“DBA”) name, and is not legally required but is an acceptable business practice. A trade name does not grant exclusive rights to a business name, nor is a trade name similar to a corporation or limited liability company (“LLC”). If you want to file a corporation or LLC, you need to file with the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Choose an entity type for the business (corporation, nonprofit corporation, or limited liability company (“LLC”)). Note — “S” corp, “C” corp, and “501c3” corp are only federal tax designations — in Arizona you would just form a corporation or a nonprofit corporation. An accountant and attorney can advise you concerning tax issues, liability, tax, and other issues. However most small home businesses start as an LLC.
File your paperwork with the Arizona Corporation Commission. This is done online at ecorp.AZCC.gov/AzAccount
LLC file Articles of Organization
Corporations file Articles of Incorporation
Federal: Request an EIN or TIN (employer/tax identification number) - aka the Social Security Number for your business.
State: Request an AZ-TPT (Arizona Transaction Privelege Tax)
City: Register with City
Before you can get a bank account with your business name on it you must either have a Registered Trade Name or a Federal EIN with your Articles of Organization/Incorporation already filed and approved.
I recommend to try U.S. Bank’s Business Checking account. The Silver tier is a free account that gets you the basics you need to start a business for free. They have options to grow into as you get more customers/capital/transactions.
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Edit: August 24, 2022 — Azlo Bank closed in 2021 and so here are other options that look equally interesting as online banking options: Novo.co, Bluevine.com, and WaveApps.com (more about Wave below).
Looking for a way to keep your expenses and income all logged and sorted for tax day? Waveapps.com is the best free online accounting software I have tried. It includes such FREE features as Chart of Accounts, Cash Flow management, Invoicing, and online banking. They also offer paid addons such as Payment/Merchant Services, Payroll, and Bookkeeping coaching/advisement.
I have tried Freshbooks, Zoho and a handful of OpenSource software you can install on your own webserver and Wave was clearly the front runner in this space. They have been going on 7+ years strong for me without hiccups.
Logo: Fairly inexpensive tool to make your own: ̶l̶o̶g̶o̶j̶o̶y̶.̶c̶o̶m̶.
Edit: August 2022: Looks like Logojoy was rebranded to Looka in 2019: looka.com/logo-maker
Website: Every website consists of the Domain Name, (covered above), and Hosting. Hosting are the physical servers where your website data is stored for it to be accessible on the internet. One analogy I like to use is: The domain name is like your street address, it tells people where you are located. The hosting is like your home, where you are physically located, or in this example, where your website files are located. Your website is housed in server computers where it is shown to people when they visit your web address (domain name). Want to learn more? Here is another article I wrote: Web 101.
Arizona Trademark: Filing a trademark registers a logo or slogan to be displayed on goods or services for public record. Trademarks also are referred to as service marks. These, too, are not required to be filed, but is an acceptable business practice. These filings are only applicable in Arizona and are not substitutes for national filings. If you want to file nationwide, you may want to consult the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. To apply for an Arizona Trademark you can do it on AZSOS.gov. Valid for 10 years. Cost: $15
Printed Goods: Business Cards / Letterhead / Flyers / Post Cards — GotPrint.com is the best priced printing I have found online that anyone can register an account on. Most products ship from California, so turn around time due to shipping is a little slower unless you are willing to pay for expedited shipping.