legal, domain-name, canadaIn Canada, you may register a business name through your province. This is required to legally operate a business that excludes (or combines) the founder’s name. If you only use your legal name as the business name, no registration is required.
I want to start a website designing business that uses a domain name other than my legal name. Although the business will run under my name, can I use a domain name that isn’t my name?
For an example:
John Doe runs the company, “John Doe”, however, he uses the domain, “Awesome.ca”.
If this is legal, in which way would one provide proof that the acting business name is “John Doe” (no other paperwork/registration is required to start a business)? Note that I do not hire employees, do not import foreign goods, and am not required to emit HST.
In Canada, you may register a business name through your province. This is required to legally operate a business that excludes (or combines) the founder’s name. If you only use your legal name as the business name, no registration is required.
True.
Although the business will run under my name, can I use a domain name that isn’t my name?
Yes. Domains are not strictly for business purposes and a domain does not have to correspond to a business name, even though the practice is common. While some top-level domains may have specific requirements (eg. .ca requires one to be a Canadian resident or Canadian legal entity), there is no requirement that you own a business that corresponds to a domain name. If there was such a requirement, only one person with any unique name would be able to be in business at at time – and that would just be silly.
The only circumstance that would prevent you from owning a domain is when someone owns a legal trademark that matches a domain. (Even then, you could own a trademark for the same name if you’re in a different line of business, but that’s far beyond what you’re asking.)
If this is legal, in which way would one provide proof that the acting business name is “John Doe” (no other paperwork/registration is required to start a business)?
You don’t have to provide proof. It would be nice and useful to your customers, however, if you disclose who you are, where you’re from, and how you run your business.
For .ca domains specifically, CIRA (the operator of the .ca domain) has the personal details on each registration.
Aside: Make sure you have good reasons to act as a sole proprietor rather than structuring your business as a liability-protected entity. Even though the simplicity may seem attractive, you are taking on a lot of personal liability doing business that way.
Yes, you may. You don’t usually register a ‘business,’ per se. What you register is a company. A company, in simple terms is an artificial juridical person.
Now your company may have different products and services. Your design-wing of the company may be called something very different from your company name. Just the way that Apple Inc owns https://www.icloud.com (iCloud) and uses it for business etc.
I hope that helps!
DISCLAIMER: IANAL.
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