Starting a Business | DBA or Doing Business As Explained < Blog

Your New Entity

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A DBA is not a type of entity or form for operating a business. It refers to a fictitious business name that one uses to describe the business that is being conducted. It is sometimes used as if it were synonymous with a sole proprietorship that has unlimited liability. For example, some incorporation services or so-called asset protection companies will refer to the risk of operating as a DBA.
In fact, any type of entity (including limited liability entities such as corporations and an LLC) may, and often do, file a DBA to register one or more trade names in which the entity engages in business.