Choose and Register Your Business
Now, it’s time to have some fun, choose a name for your business, and register it with the proper authorities. In most cases, you’ll need to register with your local city authorities as well as with the state.
Choose & Register Your Business
Choosing and registering your business name is a key step to legally operating your business and potentially obtaining financial aid from the government.
Choose Your Business Name
When naming your tennis business, choose a name that reflects your brand identity and the services you offer, such as racquet stringing, lessons, or court rentals.
Once you’ve selected a name, it’s important to protect it. There are four ways to register your business name, each serving a different purpose, depending on your business structure and location:
- Entity name protects your tennis business at the state level.
- Trademark protects your brand name at the federal level.
- Doing Business As (DBA) may be required, but doesn’t offer legal protection.
- Domain Name secures your business’s online presence.
Each registration is separate, and while many tennis businesses use the same name across all types, it’s not always mandatory.
Register Your Business Name
Entity name
An entity name can protect the name of your business at a state level. Depending on your business structure and location, the state may require you to register a legal entity name.
Your entity name is how the state recognizes your tennis business. Each state may have specific rules regarding entity names and the use of company suffixes like LLC or Inc. Most states won’t allow you to register a name already in use by another business, and some require the name to clearly represent the type of business, such as tennis instruction or racquet services.
In most cases, registering your entity name protects your tennis business within the state and prevents others from using the same name. However, there may be exceptions depending on the state and business structure.
Be sure to check your state’s guidelines for registering your business name.
Trademark
A trademark can protect the name of your tennis business, products, and services at a national level. It prevents other tennis-related businesses in the U.S. from using your trademarked names.
For example, if you operate a tennis academy and name your business “Springfield Tennis Academy,” and offer a product called “Pro Spin Racquet String,” trademarking those names would prevent other tennis businesses or products from using the same or similar names.
Businesses in every state are subject to trademark infringement lawsuits, which can prove costly. That’s why you should check your prospective business, product, and service names against the official trademark database(Link is external), maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Doing business as (DBA) name
You might need to register your DBA — also known as a trade name, fictitious name, or assumed name — with the state, county, or city in which your business is located. Registering your DBA name doesn’t provide legal protection by itself, but most states require you to register your DBA if you use one. Some business structures require you to use a DBA.
Even if you’re not required to register a DBA, you might want to anyway. A DBA lets you conduct business under a different identity from your personal or formal business entity name. As an added bonus, getting a DBA and federal tax ID number (EIN) allows you to open a business bank account.
Multiple tennis businesses can operate under the same DBA in one state, giving you more flexibility in choosing a name. There’s also more room for creativity regarding how clear the business function is. For instance, you could register your tennis academy as “Springfield Tennis Academy” for the entity name but use “Tennis Pros” as your DBA. However, trademark infringement laws still apply.
Check the DBA requirements for your specific location, as they vary by business structure, state, county, and municipality. Be sure to consult local government offices and websites for the guidelines.
Domain name
If you want your tennis business to have an online presence, start by registering a domain name, also known as your website address or URL.
Once you register your domain, no one else can use it as long as you maintain ownership. This helps protect your brand’s online presence.
If the domain you want is already taken, that’s okay. Your domain name doesn’t have to match your legal business name, trademark, or DBA. For example, “Springfield Tennis Academy” could register the domain name **springfieldtennispros.com** instead.
You’ll register your domain name through a registrar service. Consult a directory of accredited registrars(Link is external) to determine which ones are safe to use, and then pick one that offers you the best combination of price and customer service. You’ll need to renew your domain registration on a regular basis.