Utah Business Entity Search Has Never Been This Easy!

Let’s say you think of yourself as a potential business owner in the state of Utah and you want have a business registered in this state, for example in Salt Lake City. Naturally, given the nature of your business, you’d want to see what the competition is like, and what businesses similar to yours are located in this state. One thing most beginner or even veteran sellers do before forming their business, is checking out the playing field. In this case, a Utah business entity search would be the way to go.

Let’s talk a bit about what a Utah business search actually is, how it works, and how conducting one before forming your own business is always a good idea. We’ll then move on to talk about how you can have your business registered in Utah.

It all starts with the Utah Secretary of State. It’s very hard to spot, but there’s actually a section which will lead you to a page where you can do a Utah business entity search. You can also do a business license Utah search through this.

Here’s a couple of ways you can search:

• Searching by Business Name: If you already know the business name of the company you have in mind, then your business lookup Utah process should be fairly easy. Just type in the name you have in mind, and click search. Every business entity in Utah which contains that business name or word will pop up in the next page. You can also find the current status of the entity, the exact location, and their business type (limited liability, corporation, etc). If you click on the name of the entity, or visit the details page, you can find in-depth information about that company or business. It will even allow you to update the information, view filed documents, and purchase a Certificate of Existence.
• Searching by Entity Number: Each entity in Utah is assigned a unique number. Because that number is unique to that specific entity, doing a Secretary of State Utah business search becomes much easier with an entity number. All you need to is type in the number, and click search. You will be greeted by the same search results as with the business name search.
• Looking Up an Executive Name: Each company has bound to have an executive, and the Sec. of State Utah division has set up a database which you can search in by typing the executive name. There’s just one downside to this search option, because it requires a $3.00 fee. That being said, 3 dollars for getting info on a company through searching an executive name doesn’t sound like a bad idea to us!

Checking for Name Availability

Choosing a name for your business is a crucial part of the business formation process. Obviously, you don’t want to pick a business name that somebody else has already picked. But how can you know? Well, the State of Utah business entity search has an option specifically for this.

Green Means Go, Grey Means Again

Once you’ve chosen your business name, type it in the relevant directory and click search. If the name is available, a green box will pop up announcing that it “seems to be available.” Follow though with the process and register that business name before someone else does!

If your UT business entity search for a name ends up with a greyish looking box, it means that those names are sadly taken and you’re going to have to pick another name for your business.

Just keep in mind that any name you choose has to include an identified. For example if you’re trying to set up a limited liability company, you need to make sure that your business name also includes limited liability company or LLC next to it. If you’re a limited partnership, same thing. You also need to stay away from using governmental names like FBI, GOV, etc. There are other guidelines which you can read up on by visiting the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code website.

Now, let’s say you’re done with your Utah entity search, you’ve figured out your business name, and now you want to actually set up your business in Utah.

Let’s go over the process together:

• Pick Your Entity Type – First of all, you need to select the type of business entity which you are thinking of forming your business under. Are you going to be a corporation, or an LLC? There are various options, as you will see if you do a Utah corporation search or Utah business lookup.
• Come Up With A Business Plan – Setting up a business on its own is not enough. You need to find a purpose for your business. What busisness model are you going to operate under? A business plan is exactly this. It will help you organize your next steps in a more coherent manner.

Register Your Business

Once you’ve done your UT entity search, picked your business name and entity, and have a business plan set up, it’s time to have your company registered in Utah. The Utah Department of Commerce offers two ways of doing so:

1. The OneStop Business Registration
2. DBA Online Registration

The first one is for entities who want to register with other states/agencies on top of the Division of Corporations and Commercial. If you need a number from a Utah State Government Agency such as a Tax Number, this is the option for you.

The DBA (assumed name) online registration was set up to “allow existing business entities and individuals who wish to transact business under an assumed name (DBA).” That’s pretty self-explanatory. If you already have a Tax Number or aren’t required to have one, you should go for this option instead.

There is of course a lot more to this process that meets the eye. There are layers and layers of detail work which needs to be dealt with, and we cannot overstate the amount of paperwork which you’d need to handle.

This entire process can be a headache for most people, especially those who are only recently stepping in the game. But we at Prestige Auditors are the bearers of good news! If you wish to set up your business from start to finish in Utah or any other state, click here and we’ll expedite that process for you!