In the third quarter of 2023, South Carolina had an economic growth of 5.7%, with its main industries having an economic impact of $48.3 billion. In addition, it was the fastest-growing state in the same year, with 5.4 million residents.
What does this mean if you’re an entrepreneur? That opportunities abound in South Carolina.
The first step of creating a company is choosing its name, and you shouldn’t take it lightly. Not only is it vital for branding, but legally, you need a unique name too.
You can do a South Carolina business entity search to find out whether you’ve got the green light. Below are three key ways you can do so.
Do a South Carolina Secretary of State Business Entity Search
The best place to start is with the South Carolina Secretary of State. They’re in charge of business filings, which means you’ll have access to all registered entities within the state.
To start, you’ll go to the South Carolina Secretary of State’s website and find the page for business entities online. Here, you’ll see a page for business name searches.
On the left is a dropdown menu where you can pick “begins with,” “contains,” or “exact match.” We’d recommend the “contains” option so you’ll get partial matches, which may be enough to land you into legal hot water.
Once you’ve selected something from the dropdown menu, you can type the business name into the search bar, or the keywords you want to find. Then, click on the “Search” button.
If there are any hits, they’ll be generated below the search bar. The information you’ll see is:
- Entity names
- Dates of incorporation
- Entity types
- Entity statuses
- Incorporate states
Clicking on any of the business names will open a new window that gives you more details about it, starting with the corporate information. You’ll find the entity ID, type, status, domestic/foreign, and the incorporated state.
Next are the important dates:
- Effective
- Expiration
- Term end
- Dissolved
You’ll also see the registered agent’s name and their address. Lastly, you’ll find the official documents on file with the Secretary of State.
Look Around on Search Engines
Another way to do a South Carolina business search is to use Google or any other search engine. You’d type in a normal search query by using the business name and “South Carolina” attached to it. If it’s relevant, you can add city names too.
Go over the results pages carefully and do multiple queries if warranted. Keep an eye out for any names you haven’t seen during your state of South Carolina business entity search with the Secretary of State. Remember that similar-sounding names can be too close for comfort as well.
Other things you should check for are domain names and social media handles. These can give you a clue as to whether someone will register a business name you might want. If you turn up empty-handed with these searches, then you should reserve these assets, as you’ll have more cohesive branding in the future.
Use the Business Anywhere Tool
If you want help with registering your company, then rest easy knowing that Business Anywhere is here for you. We have a free business registration service where you only have to pay the state fees. You can also browse our additional services that have transparent fees, and add those when checking out.
While scrolling through the page, you might’ve noticed the search tool at the top. This is free to use and you can utilize it for your SC business entity search. You can type in the potential company name, choose whether it’ll be an LLC, corporation, or PLLC, and then hit “Check availability.”
With no strings attached, we’ll tell you on the next page if the name’s available. If it isn’t, then you can always go back and try until you’re successful.
At this point, you can exit out. Or if you’re curious about our services, you can go a step further. Scroll down to provide your contact details and you’ll hear back from us in no time.
Try a South Carolina Business Entity Search First
A South Carolina business entity search should be the first thing you do if you want to start a company in the state. Without this search, you run the risk of picking an unavailable name, or even worse, one that leaves you open to legal action.
Considering that it’s such an important action, we highly recommend that you run a business search in SC. It may mean the difference between staying open or shutting down later on.
Sign up with Business Anywhere now to see how easy it is to use our dashboard. You can sign up for additional services too, such as a virtual mailbox.
