Question: if my name is Angie L. Martinez Photography, do I need to register. I am afraid that some of the prior advice may have been unclear. When you created Angie L. Martinez Photography, you created a DBA company, meaning that, for purposes of the public, someone named Angie L. Martinez is 'doing business as (DBA)' Angie L. Martinez Photography (I will call this ALMP). If ALMP does nothing, the law treats ALMP as one and the same as Angie herself and for tax purposes, that makes it a sole proprietorship. In almost all jurisdictions, there is a procedure for filing a DBA certificate usually with the County Clerk or in a small city with City Hall. Another indicator is whether you obtain an employer identification number (EIN) under ALMP or under the individual. In many jurisdictions, cities require that all businesses must file obtain a license just to do business or represent itself to the public. Finally, there is the essential difference between ALMP and a corporation called ALMP, Inc. or ALMP, LLC. In the former, if ALMP is sued for the quality of wedding photographs, the judgment can come from the business but it can also come from personal assets because Angie is not legally protected. When ALMP incorporates as an INC or formed as an LLC, then the judgment for the wedding photos can only be satisfied from company assets. Hope this is helpful. José A. Rivera, J.D. President & CEO Rivera, Sierra & Company, Inc.

Thanks to all for jumping in with helpful replies. For more information on registering a business name, you can read Doing Business As ... at Business.gov.

not sure why this is abuse?

I agree strongly with phanio. I am a subject matter expert for SCORE in Las Vegas for SEO and internet marketing. The counselors that I work with are amazing with the amount of knowledge and recourses available to start up and existing businesses.   I would give you a quick tip when choosing a url and business name to make sure it has your relevant keywords in the title. No one is going to type in your name in to a keyword search since you are a new photographer. It is better to use a keyword like seniorportratphotographyoflasvegas' or whatever your specialty is in your area. This is counterintuitive to new business owners but is a great way to get a head start on marketing yourself online.

Yes - they mean if you are using anything other than your name - you photography to your name. That has to be registared as an assumed name or DBA (doing business as). Each state has their own rules for this. Here is my suggestion: Find a local SCORE or SBDC in your area. They are part of the SBA and free to use. Plus, they would better understand your local laws and rules and can help you research and develop your business plan.

It depends if you're starting a sole proprietorship under your own full name, you are not required to register a business name but if you are starting a sole proprietorship under a different name or alias, you are required to register that name. Also if you are starting a corporation, your official business name will be automatically registered when you file your articles of incorporation with your provincial or state filing office. Also you may want to consider registering your name as a trademark to take advantage of the extra protection a trademark can give you. While it's not required, it can prevent other businesses from using a name that could be confused with your business name.