New Zealand Business Name Search

Creating a unique business name that expresses who you are as an entrepreneur and excitingly presents your business can often be tricky. And, once you finally find a name you love, the business name registration process can be a real headache. However, this process can be made more accessible. 

We have made a guide for anyone searching for a New Zealand business name. Our guide includes helpful preparation tips, how to find out if your name is available and how to register your name.

Generate Business Name Ideas

Prepare For Your New Zealand Business Name Search

Before we even think about registering your New Zealand business name, we need to make sure that you have the best name possible. A few ways you can guarantee finding a unique name are the following;

• Research your competitors. It may seem strange, but paying attention to those who are successful in your field will benefit your business. A customer’s first impression comes from the name of a company, so what techniques have your competitors used to make their name stand out?

• Try out exciting techniques with keywords that describe your business (alliteration, rhyming, and mix up words)

• Once you have your favourite proposed words that you’d like to include in your name, take them to our business name generator to obtain snappy and exciting results!

How To Search Available Names In New Zealand

To find out if your desired New Zealand business name is available, you can go directly to the government of New Zealand’s website. 

Here, you will be able to find a section called ‘is your business name available?’. There are valuable tips on this page to help you make sure your business name is unique, and if you feel that it is, you can go ahead and click on ‘ONECheck’.

‘ONECheck’ is New Zealand’s quick and easy to use tool that provides you with search results for business names, trademarks, social media names and domains. 

Simply enter your proposed business name and see if any similar results have previously been registered on the server!

How to Register Your Business Name In New Zealand

Prior to name registration, you must check that there is an available domain for your business. You can do this by using our Instant Domain Check to receive instant results. 

To register your New Zealand business name, you must first reserve your business name for a twenty-day period.  

To reserve your name, you must create a RealMe login. Then, through RealMe, you will create an online service account to file a reservation.

Once your reservation has been accepted, you will be able to incorporate your company and register your name officially. 

New Zealand Business Name Registration Policies And Procedures

As you get ready to register your New Zealand business name, now is the time to gain an understanding of the policies and procedures surrounding business name registration in New Zealand. Here are a few policies that you need to know; 

• For any Limited Liability company, your name must end in either “Limited” or “Tapui Limited” or “Unlimited”.

• Your business name must reflect your business’s activity and not mislead consumers or the general public. For example, don’t put the word ‘Clothing’ in your business name if your company has nothing to do with clothes. 

• Your business name must be distinguishable from those on record, and any name that is too similar will not be approved. 

• If your proposed name is rejected, you will be required to resubmit an application with a different name and pay the reservation fee again. 

New Zealand Business Registration Office

How To Use An Online Portal To Register Business Names In New Zealand

Below, we have inserted a step by step run-through of how to register your New Zealand business name online; 

• First, create an Online Services Account. To start an account, you must have a login set up with RealMe.  

• Secondly, request a reservation for your proposed name for 20 days. Usually, you will hear back within a few hours of your application.  

• If your proposed business name is approved, you will reserve your business name for 20 days, which will last in the meantime of you incorporating your company.

• From here, you are ready to make it official by going into your Online Services Account, registering as A New User and filling in the details of your company.

How Costly Is It To Register Business Name In New Zealand

There is, of course, a fee to register your New Zealand business name. 

To firstly reserve your business name, there is a fee of $10. If your name is rejected, you will have to re-apply for reservation with an alternative name and pay the $10 fee again.

Once you’re in the clear with your reservation, you must incorporate your company. The cost of this is $114.39.

You can pay for all fees by using a debit or credit card during your application. 

Why Should I Register A Business Name In New Zealand

New Zealand is one of the best countries to do business in, with its easy to navigate tax system and simple foreign exchange laws. To guarantee you know all the reasons why you should register your New Zealand business, here is a list of all the nation’s notable attributes;

• Enjoy New Zealand’s convenient location, with wonderful links to business giant Australia, and close networking to Great Britain.

• Be assured that you are a part of a strong economy that continues to grow and stay afloat even during a crisis.

• Generous grants are available for startups and small businesses, courtesy of the New Zealand government. 

• If you were not to register your business name, you would miss out on business benefits such as business bank accounts and support you can gain from the government and agencies. 

Support When Registering A Business Name In New Zealand

When registering your New Zealand business name, support will become available to you. Here are some notable services that you can make use of upon registration; 

• New Zealand’s Innovation Agency, Callaghan Innovation – From grant schemes to expert advice, Callaghan Innovation has many resources available to startup businesses.

• New Zealand’s business govt – available directly through the government’s website, this service gives users a plethora of information and guidance on how to start their business and stay afloat in this challenging time. 

Conclusion

We have now covered all the aspects you need to know when registering your New Zealand business name, and you should be feeling ready to start and take on the world of business!

If you would like to compare New Zealand’s registration process to those in other locations, you can do so by checking out the various business name search articles available on our website.