In the last seven years, the per capita personal income in Tennessee has increased by over 40%, which shows just how strong the state’s economy is. It has a very pro-business climate, which is why industries other than music thrive there.
Those wishing to strike out on their own may find Tennessee appealing, and you might be one of these people. The next step is to check if your desired company name is available, and you can do that with a Tennessee business entity search.
In this article, we’ll give you several methods to do this so you’re not stuck with just one Tennessee business search option.
Tennessee Secretary of State Business Entity Search
The Secretary of State is usually responsible for business filings, so it’s reasonable to start here. On the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website, you’ll find options for “Find and update a business record” and “Search business name availability.” You can use either one, so we’ll go over each route in detail below.
Search Business Name Availability
We’re starting with this one since it’s more precise. On this page, there’s just one box for you to type in your future company name. Check the box for “I’m not a robot,” and then hit “Search.”
This gives you hits if they’re exactly the same as the name you’ve typed in. However, there are names that can be so similar that they give you legal trouble, so you’ll want to try the other route too.
Find and Update a Business Record
On this page, you’ll have the same “Search name” bar. However, you can choose between “Starts with” or “Contains.” In addition, you can put in a control number and check “Active entities only” if you wish.
After you click on “Search,” you’ll generate a list of results that show the:
- Control numbers
- Entity types
- Names
- Name types
- Name statuses
- Entity filing dates
- Entity statuses
Want to learn more about any particular company? Then click on its control number. The additional information you’ll find on the following page includes:
- State formed in
- Fiscal year close
- Term of duration
- Principal office address
- Mailing address
- AR exempt
- AR due date
- Inactive date
- Managed by
- Obligated member entity
- Number of members
At the bottom, you can toggle between assumed names, history, and registered agent. The last tab will give you the agent’s name and address.
Use Google
To do another TN business entity search, turn to Google or another search engine. It’s as easy as typing in the business name and adding “Tennessee” to the end. You can also type a city name to narrow things down; in fact, we recommend you do this with several city names to cover your bases.
Whatever you choose, you’ll want to go through several pages to check if someone’s already taken the same name (or similar), but just hasn’t registered it yet. This is also the perfect opportunity to snatch up domain names and social media handles, as that’ll make it easier for you to match branding across different platforms.
Give Our Business Search Tool a Try
To help out entrepreneurs, we have a free business registration service. You just have to pay the state fees, in addition to any other affordable services you’d like to utilize.
Plus, we have a convenient business search tool at the top of our page for you to do a business search in TN. You’ll fill out the name of your potential company, select LLC, corporation, or PLLC, and then click on “Check availability.”
The next page will tell you if your desired name is free. You can stop at that point, but if you’re interested in our services, you can type in your contact information and send them over to us. We’ll then reach out to speak more about assisting you in the best way possible.
Make Sure You Perform a Tennessee Business Entity Search
As a small business owner, you can’t afford any costly lawsuits. And if your company name is too close to an existing one, you can land in hot water.
A Tennessee business entity search is vital if you want to do things right. It may take some extra time and effort, but it doesn’t cost any money to carry out. So don’t skip a state of Tennessee business entity search, as you may come to regret it.
Sign up with Business Anywhere now to take advantage of our free business registration service. We can also help with any business questions you may have.
