How to Avoid Business Name Rejection

I think we are not being told the real story behind business name rejection; it seems like rocket science. The stress you go through brainstorming names only for the heart-broken words, “the name is unavailable,” or the heart-shattering words, “the name has been rejected,” is unbearable for a new business owner who wants to solve people’s problems and make a living.

To avoid the heart-sinking words of your business name being rejected, there are some rules and guidelines to follow to ensure a smooth business name registration.

Tips to avoid business name rejection

Business name registration is one of the major steps in beginning your entrepreneurship journey, and it is dependent on how vast you are with the rules guiding business registration. In some countries, registering a company takes several months, while in some countries, it takes just a few days.

Irrespective of the duration, the probability of business name rejection will increase if you fail to learn about the rules guiding it. The laws vary in countries, so you can focus on your home country, and when it’s time to expand your business, you can learn about the desired country you wish to expand to.

Search for the name online

Being proactive works perfectly for business names as well. You can do deep research yourself or head to the official website for the government and search using the search bar for name availability. If, after the search, the results came out positive and no business has not used the name, then you can proceed to submit your proposed business name.

If the results show the name is not available, then you need to come up with another business name even though you have a different value to the other company that uses the name. If you proceed to submit your business name after this, then be ready for rejection.

Restricted terms

Every country has their laws and guidelines when it comes to business registration. Words like consumer, trust, and incorporated are restricted for small businesses and will be rejected when submitted. Of course, it is not restricted, but if you must use those words, you need to get approval from the right quarters.

It is important to do your due diligence when coming up with a business name so your efforts won’t be wasted. Using terms like university will require you to get consent from the ministry of education before submitting the name for approval or risk rejection.

Infringements

As mentioned earlier, you can do simple research by searching for the business name online to know its availability, but that won’t bring results for trademarks. If you proceed to submit such a business name with trademark infringements, you risk rejection from the registrar.

Trademarks are the intellectual property of an individual, and laws provide the holder with the right to the name anywhere in the country. Such individuals can sue others using it for their gains.

Invalid characters

Have you ever tried saving a document on Microsoft Word, and you got a message that you can’t save it due to the inclusion of invalid characters? Well! Rejection isn’t only synonymous with Microsoft as the body responsible for business registration also rejects business names that include invalid characters.

When you want to register a company or business name, doing research should be the least of your worries. Find out about the characters and symbols that should be avoided, like the plague in business names, to limit the probability of rejection.

Conclusion

The most crucial part of starting your business is the business registration, as it could delay your progress for months if you fail to do adequate research on what the registration body requires. No business will be allowed to use the same name irrespective of how different their values are.

The use of invalid symbols, characters and restricted terms will do no good than increasing the probability of rejection from the registration body. Trademark infringement is another reason why a business name gets rejected; If a trademark has been registered to an individual, no one will be allowed to use such a trademark again.

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