In the world of business, Australia is a sought after location. From small businesses adding a substantial profit to the nation’s economy to a convenient tax environment, there are many benefits to choosing Australia as the home for your business.
So, if you want to start your Australian business name search, this is the guide for you! Below, we will cover the details of finding and registering a business name, with a run-through of the costs and procedures of business name registration in Australia.
Generate Business Name Ideas
Prepare For Your Australia Business Name Search
The inevitable first step of your Australian business name search is preparing yourself and gathering everything you need to devise an exciting name. We have listed viable preparation steps for you here;
- List all the positive attributes of your business, using a thesaurus to find alternatives for any words you feel are overused.
- Find wordings that exude the feeling you want your customers to feel when hearing your business name. You can gain an understanding of this by looking into phonaesthetics.
Once you have keywords that you’d love to include in your business name, you can input them into our Business Name Generator for instant results!
How To Search Available Names In Australia
Before filing for your Australia business name registration, an important step is to check that your business name isn’t currently used by anyone else.
To do this, visit the Australian Securities & Investments Commission website. You will see various options for businesses, but you will first want to click ‘Registering A Business Name’.
This page will run you through registration, but before we proceed with that, you need to choose the option to search for business names on the register.
You will be taken to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission Connect server, where you can search for information on registered businesses. In the drop-down list, make sure you set the search tool to ‘Check Business Name Availability’ and proceed to input your business name.
How You Register Your Business Name In Australia
Now that you know your Australian business name isn’t taken, you need to check that there is also a domain available in the title. This is to ensure your public business assets fall under the same name so that you are easy to find online!
To quickly find out if your domain is available, you can use our Instant Domain Check.
You can register your business name by using the Australian Government’s Business Registration Service when you are ready. This service is useful for start-up businesses, as you can do all your filings in the same place.
To commence registration, click ‘Register Your Business’.
Australia Business Name Registration Policies And Procedures
As you are now on track to register your Australia business name, it is fundamental that you read through the government guidelines to understand how business name registration occurs and what happens upon signing.
Below, we have clarified some of these policies that will be useful for you to make a note of;
- Unless you are using your own name for your business, you are required to register your business name through the Australian Government’s Business Registration Service.
- Registering a business name in Australia does not mean that you own it, but it will prevent others from using the same name as you.
- You can either register your business name for 1 or 3 years, and you must make this decision in your registration form.
- You will be reimbursed if your registration is rejected – this would happen if ASIC finds a business name on record that is too similar to your proposed business name.
- You will need an Australian Business Number to register your business name. Find out how to do so on ASIC.
Australia Business Registration Office
Website: | asic.gov.au/for-business/ |
Phone: | 1300 300 630 |
Email: | online contact form |
Hours: | 8:30am – 5pm, Monday – Friday |
How To Use An Online Portal To Register Business Names In Australia
The Australian government has made it simple to register an Australian business name with their easy to use Business Registration Service.
The first step is to select your registration, which in this case, is a business name.
Once you have selected this, you will be given a brief rundown of the registration fees and the information you will need to provide when registering. If you are happy to proceed, you will then be asked to make a business.gov.au account.
To create an account, you will need your email address and name.
When your account is set up, you will be able to complete your registration form, or you can save your application and complete it over a period of time.
How Costly Is It To Register Business Name In Australia
The cost of registering your Australian business name varies depending on your business name registration duration.
The fees are as follows;
- $37 for one year
- $88 for three years (saving $23)
If your registration is declined, your money will be reimbursed, and you will not be charged for name registration.
Your registration doesn’t officially count until you pay the fee, so make sure to do this as soon as possible within the ten business day period disclosed in your application.
Why Should I Register A Business Name In Australia
In most cases, registering your Australian business name is required when transacting business within the country, so you should register your business name regardless.
However, if you are still on the fence, here are some benefits you will gain when registering;
- You will have access to business support. The Australian government updates their website continuously to keep up with resources that will be useful to small business owners. This includes training and events, which vary from workshops to help you with online elements of your business to webinar training classes for subjects such as cash flow. You can find these events on their website.
- There are funding programs available if you need help financing elements of your business. You can find the best funding options for yourself by filling out the questionnaire at the top of the Grants and Program page.
- You will be able to use the Australian government’s official business site to file documents and keep them all saved in the exact location.
Support When Registering A Business Name In Australia
There is ample support for those registering an Australian business name or just getting started in their business journey.
The best place to find official sources for support is on the Australian government’s website. Here, you can use their ‘Adviser Finder’ to source an expert that is educated in the right field to advise you on your business. The majority of these services are free, so make use of them!
Conclusion
Now that we have gone over all the resources you need when registering your Australian business name, you are ready to go forth and do this! Remember to use all the services made available to you by the Australian government to get the most out of your first step.
To compare your Australian business name search to the registration process in other parts of the world, check our articles for business name searches in different locations!