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How to Perform an Iowa Business Entity Search

iowa business entity search

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Currently, Iowa is ranked 31st in economy size, which isn’t terrible when compared with other states. While it has a lower economic growth than the US overall, Iowa is still a promising state for business.

In fact, Iowa is ranked second-best state to start a business and has a business establishment death rate that’s 25% below the national average. If that won’t convince you to be an entrepreneur here, then nothing will.

So you want to set up your new company in the state, but don’t know where to start. We’d recommend starting with an Iowa business entity search, as this will tell you if your desired name is free. Read on to see how to conduct this search.

Seeing as the Secretary of State is typically responsible for business registrations, it makes sense that you’d perform an Iowa SOS business search. You’ll have a comprehensive database at your fingertips, and it’s free to use too.

To start your search, go to the Secretary of State’s business entities search page. There are two search bars: business name and business number. 

You can type in your potential company name in the first bar; it doesn’t have to be exact. You can even type in a partial word and it’ll come up with everything that’s relevant. Either way, you’ll click on “Search” to generate results.

The following page will show you business numbers, names, statuses, and types. To take a closer look at any company, click on the business number.

On the next page, you’ll get to view the company’s state of incorporation, if it’s modified, the expiration date, effective date, and filing date, as well as the chapter. You’ll also find the registered agent or reserving party’s full name and address. And on the bottom of the page is the home office’s information.

Do a Search on Google

Another way to do an Iowa business search is to use Google or your preferred search engine. It’s very easy to do too; type in the company name you want, in addition to “Iowa.” If you’re targeting certain cities, then put those in your queries too.

The results pages should give you a good idea of whether your desired business name is unique enough. If there’s any chance that someone could mistake your company for another, then go back to the drawing board.

Otherwise, have you noticed that domain names and social media handles are available as well? Then take this opportunity to buy and register them, especially if you’re confident that you’ll stick with this business name. This ensures that no one else will steal them if they get the same idea.

Use Our Business Name Search Tool

We at Business Anywhere have a clear-cut business registration service page. If you’re interested in starting a company, then you’ll realize that our services are very affordable. Plus, you can pick and choose which additional things you want, and what you see is what you’ll get.

After checking our services and prices out, you can use our business name search tool to proceed. Enter the company name into the search bar on top and choose “LLC” or “corporation.” 

When you click on “check availability,” we’ll tell you if someone’s already taken the name. You can keep searching if that’s the case. But if it’s available, you can fill out the short form with your details to hear more about what we can do for you.

Do an Iowa Business Entity Search First

You might’ve decided that this is the state you want to start your company in. But don’t jump straight into things; do an Iowa business entity search first.

Fortunately, as you can see from this article, it’s not difficult to do. In addition, it doesn’t cost anything to do the searches, so you can exhaust all your options before settling on the perfect name for your business.
Sign up with Business Anywhere if you’re ready to register your company. You won’t have to pay exorbitant fees to get our expert help.

About Author

Picture of Rick Mak

Rick Mak

Rick Mak is a 30-year veteran businessman, having started, bought, and/or sold more than a dozen companies. He has bachelor's degrees in International Business, Finance, and Economics, with masters in both Entrepreneurship and International Law. He has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the world during his career on entrepreneurship, international tax law, asset protection, and company structure. Business Anywhere Editorial Guidelines

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