Entrepreneurship & Small Business

Using multiple trading names for Ltd corporation

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 30th, 2018 9:46 am
Newbie
Jan 27, 2018
3 posts

Using multiple trading names for Ltd corporation

Hello,

I have a Ltd corporation, incorporated in BC. I offer a range of different services, all of them related to IT.

I would like to set up separate websites to promote the different services I offer, e.g. service1.com and service2.com.

How do I correctly declare/state that these are trading names of my Ltd corporation?

Thanks!
9 replies
Newbie
Jan 27, 2018
3 posts
Thanks. Perhaps I wasn't clear in my original post. I already have a registered corporation in BC. Let's call it MyCo Ltd.

MyCo Ltd provides a number of different services. Let's say networking and hardware.

I want to be able to use separate branding for these services (website, marketing materials etc.)

Do I have to register a separate Ltd co for each of my services? I'm guessing not.

If not, then how do I use these other names, and how do I link them back to MyCo Ltd?
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 15, 2015
1568 posts
206 upvotes
Markham, ON
I already answered your question.

Please review what I posted.

Your corporation has to register a business name (trade name) and I provided you the way to register. All the other stuff you speak of is marketing and getting your trade name known to the public.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Aug 2, 2010
15196 posts
5016 upvotes
Here 'n There
You can run multiple websites with different names. You don't have to have the different website names registered as a trading name. All you have to do is to identify the website somewhere on the website as being owned by your corporation and whatever trading name you want to use if you use one. That should also be on any invoices generated from each website.

The replies here are conflating website names with trading names. They are mutually exclusive. Running different websites does not mean that you have to have a trading name registered for every website.
Newbie
Jan 27, 2018
3 posts
Thanks eonibm - so what would the statement on the website and invoice look like?

Something like thiswebsite.com is owned and operated by MyCo Ltd?
Deal Expert
User avatar
Aug 2, 2010
15196 posts
5016 upvotes
Here 'n There
GrundigH wrote: Thanks eonibm - so what would the statement on the website and invoice look like?

Something like thiswebsite.com is owned and operated by MyCo Ltd?
Yes something like that. The invoice would also reflect that. If you scour the internet you'll be able find websites with that kind of clarification on them. If you also have a trading name that your corporation operates under you would add 'dba [insert trading name here]' after 'Ltd.' (dba = doing business as, which you can have as an acronym or spell out the long form).

Btw, many companies that operate multiple websites don't even place that on their website. However, it is important from a customer-facing point of view. Customers should know who they are dealing with and if they don't you may not get the legitimacy quotient they require. Also, if you get sued it could cause complications and put you at a disadvantage.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 15, 2015
1568 posts
206 upvotes
Markham, ON
I guess that's how you establish your name on the world wide web. If you are running your business as a corporation and you want to run in multiple names, you might want to register those business names with the government. At least locally at the start.

If I was running a business as a person, Jane Doe, Jane Doe may register a business name like "in your face clothing" or "wonderful advice from poppwl".

Similarly if I was running a business as a corporation, Jane Doe Inc., I may register a business name like "iyf clothing" or "WAFAF POPPWL".

As a savvy business owner, I might simultaneously register for the domain poppwl.com

How dare you take my name! It has me taken all over. See all my paperwork!
Newbie
Jan 6, 2018
31 posts
6 upvotes
hmm interesting. Back to the OP question.

If I have corporation 24252324 ONTARIO INC and offer two services. I know the actual domain names can be whatever but if I refer to my company as two different names, I need to register them as trade names right?
For example:
  1. my first site sells web designs so I call it "Joe's web design" and the other one called "Joe's digital cat sounds"
  2. the official corporation name is 24252324 ONTARIO INC

I can't just start calling it different names when selling (even though the invoice says 24252324 ONTARIO INC for both websites) can I?

I guess the confusing for me is trade name vs business name vs trade mark. Business name is the name under which the business is carried on. In the OP's question and my example, it sounds we're asking more of a trade name or even trademark instead. B/c it doesn't seem we care about what the invoice says, but rather what the service is marketed under (which is different than business name).
Deal Addict
User avatar
Aug 15, 2015
1568 posts
206 upvotes
Markham, ON
Alberta and some other province likes to call business name as trade names

Ontario likes to call business names as business name.

Trademark go look at the Canadian intellectual property office website. The government can start looking at when you gave up on your stuff when your registrations or renewals start lapsing.

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