So after months of brainstorming I finally landed on the perfect name for my bakery: "Dough Re Mi." I checked the state business name database and it's already taken. By a company that does... something with industrial solvents. I called the state office and they basically said tough luck. Is there anything I can do, or do I need to go back to the drawing board?
Name Rules
I found the perfect name but the state won't let me use it
Dough Re Mi is solid. Sorry the state is being a pain. How long has thee other company had it?
Could you use it as a DBA or trade name instead of the official LLC name? Might be a loophole. I knew a guy who did that and the state never bothered him, but your mileage may vary.
BurntToast42: they registered it back in 2012. So it's not going anywhere soon. coffeeANDchaos: that's interesting. I'll ask my accountant about the DBA route. I'm just worried a giant solvent company might come after me, but who knows.
Industrial solvents, bakery... you could always pivot to making bread with a hint of acetone. Just kidding. Sort of.
I wouldn't count on a DBA saving you. In my state, the examiners look at whether the the name is "deceptively similar" to an existing one, and "Dough Re Mi" vs. "Dough Re Mi LLC" is pretty much a lock. You'd be better off tweaking it. "Dough Re Mi Bakery" might squeak through if the other one is "Dough Re Mi Holdings" or whatever.
Wait, you called the state office? And they answered? That's the real miracle here.
SoggyWaffle, right? Where I live you get a voicemail and a busy signal for three weeks. Anyway, ParksAndWrecked makes a good point. The tweak is probably your clanest move. What about "Dough Re Mi Bakehouse"? Or "Dough Re Mi & Co."?
no advice but I hope the solvent company uses your name for a new acid wash or something. poetic.
Appreciate all the input. I'm going to call the state back, and ask specifically about a DBA, and if that's a dead end, I'll try "Dough Re Mi Bakehouse." Thanks everyone.