How to Set Your Business Up with a DBA

Popularity: 23% [?]

03.31.2008 by Emilia in Emilia, Guest Posts

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This is a guest post from Emilia.

For the most part, the affiliate industry attracts people who dream about being their own boss and having the amount of work they put into it reflect in the income they earn. It’s all about controlling one’s own destiny.

Some affiliates become so successful that they choose to make a full-time business out it. When this happens, the affiliate will usually have to file a DBA, or a “Doing Business As” form, with the local county administration office.

There are a number of benefits to setting up a DBA. A DBA will enable you to create a business name for yourself, open up a business checking account and have a business phone line installed in your home. This is important because with business accounts, you’ll be able to take advantage of many of the tax benefits that small businesses can be eligible for, such as making certain business-related deductions. Setting up a DBA also makes it easier for you to manage your personal finances separately from your business expenditures.

Now that you know why it’s a good idea to set up a DBA, here’s how to actually do it!

Finding the Name for a DBA

The first step in setting up your affiliate marketing business as a DBA is making sure that the name you have in mind for your business isn’t already in use. Your county administration office will tell you how you can access the database where you can check.

You want to make sure that the name you choose clearly identifies what you do, for example, “A-1 Affiliates.” Now that you have your name chosen and discover that it is not in use, you will have to file the proper paperwork to register the name.

Registering the Business Name

It often varies by state, but most states require that you register the DBA at the county level. Contact your county administration office for the proper registration paperwork.

A filing fee is usually required when you submit your application. The typical filing fee can range between $10 and $50 in most states, but some may charge as much as $100. Once the application reaches approval, some states may require you to publish a notice in the local newspaper that you are doing business as your DBA name.

In most states, if you do business as a fictitious name and the name is not registered, you could face serious legal and/or practical situations. To save yourself plenty of trouble or fines, be sure to follow your state’s guidelines for registering your DBA name.

Your DBA website will help to not only advertise your merchants, but you may be able to set up affiliate-related programs and provide content that can turn into a steady stream of income as your business grows.

This is a guest post from Emilia from AffiliateTips.com. Head over there to compare affiliate programs and find great information on affiliate marketing .

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