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I would like to start a small business where I don't use my name. Basically I want to be anonymous. It would be just me running the business. Is this possible? Could it be similar to an author using an alias?
The reason for this is because I use my name for another business. My name is pretty unique and I don't want an association between the two businesses.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Even authors at some point are identifiable, if they are legally a business and paying taxes on their income. You can incorporate and have many businesses with different names, but the corporation registration will be a public record, as is any web domain, and business license.
For a sole proprietorship, you could file a "doing business as" (DBA) trade name with the sec'y of state where you're setting up the business.
Or, you could incorporate and have a business trade name.
In either case, somebody looking for who the owner is would ultimately come across your name.
But for the purposes of a retail business, most folk will do business with the name you choose to have in the marketplace. So that "DBA" may be sufficient to keep your two business entities separated in the perception of the clients.
For a sole proprietorship, you could file a "doing business as" (DBA) trade name with the sec'y of state where you're setting up the business.
Or, you could incorporate and have a business trade name.
In either case, somebody looking for who the owner is would ultimately come across your name.
But for the purposes of a retail business, most folk will do business with the name you choose to have in the marketplace. So that "DBA" may be sufficient to keep your two business entities separated in the perception of the clients.
the one that exist now is online retail mostly, of a product I make. i'd like to get out of that entirely, but i have to have an income while starting the other business. and it's not like getting a decent job is a sure thing to do in the meanwhile
the new business would be a similar, but more unique and improved product as the first business. i'd just be selling wholesale only but the prices would be a bit higher. that is because the product would be better/more unique improvement on the product sold on the retail site. i don't want the new customers (retail stores) thinking that I am undercutting them or selling retail also. maybe the issue is more that they need to know why the new product is different and better.
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