Can anyone tell me how to reserve or trademark a business name, do you have to have a lawyer? I do not have a business, but am slowly getting together a plan and would hate to lose the name I have come up with. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Andrea

You would contact your department of state corporate division (that's how it is in NH anyway).. you can reserve a name quite easily. Trademarking something is more difficult.. and you likely wouldn't need one, but you would contact the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Try your Secretary of State website. You will need to file for a Ficticious Name or DBA (doing business as) You need to do a name search first to make sure that no one else has registered that name already. It cost me $7.00 to register a name in Missouri.

Good info! Thanks!

Thank you both so much!! this is the greatest place ever, I feel so lost and unknowing sometimes and every single time I ask for help someone here comes through! Thank you, I will be following up with the suggested agencies tomorrow!

I just want to save the name not trademark it, don't know why I said that. Andrea

Here is the link for your state to file for your name.

http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/faqtradename.html

Hope this helps.

If you need to register the domain name you can use register.com. I'm sure there are many others.