Business name vs company name
Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .
The words get mixed up, and mixing them up leads to registering the wrong thing. A company name belongs to a company. A business name is a name you trade under.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your accountant decides the structure; this page just explains the words.
A company name
A company is a separate legal entity. Its name is set when the company is registered with ASIC, and it ends in Pty Ltd or a similar word. If you operate through a company, the company name is your legal name.
A business name
A business name is the name you trade under when it is not your own legal name. A sole trader called Sam Lee who trades as Lee Plumbing needs to register Lee Plumbing with ASIC. A company trading as something other than its company name does the same.
How to tell which one you need
- Trading under your own name as a sole trader: no business name to register.
- Trading under any other name: register the business name with ASIC.
- Operating through a company and using the company name: nothing extra.
- Operating through a company under a different name: register that as a business name.
What neither one protects
Neither registration stops someone else using a similar name. That protection comes from a trade mark, which you apply for separately with IP Australia.
What to do next
Once the structure and name are settled, the order is the one in our guide on what to do after registering an ABN: name checks, brand, website and photos, then launch.
More guides for new businesses
- Logo or website first for a new business
- What to do after registering an ABN
- New business launch checklist, Melbourne
- How to name a business in Australia
- Do I need a website for a small business
- What is a brand identity for a small business
- Brand guidelines for a small business
- How to get your first customers as a new business
- Google Business Profile for a new business
- How much a new business should spend on ads
- Website checklist before you launch a small business site
- What photos a new business needs
- Landing page or website for ads
- Social media profiles for a new business
- How to start a business in Melbourne
- How to start a clothing brand in Australia
- How to register a brand name in Australia
- Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia
- Sole trader or company in Australia
- Do I need to register for GST
- How to choose a .com.au domain name
- How to get a logo for a new business
- Business email for a new business
- Privacy policy for a small business website in Australia
- What to post on social media when you start a business
- Setting up a business in Victoria
All of them are on the guides page.
Who is behind this
Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.
If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.
Common questions
- Is a trading name the same as a business name?
- In Australia, the term business name is the official one for a name you trade under. People also say trading name. If it is not your own legal name, it generally has to be registered.
- Do I need an ABN to register a business name?
- Registering a business name with ASIC involves an ABN, so most people get the ABN first. The Australian Business Register site has the steps.
- Who decides whether I should be a sole trader or a company?
- That is a question for an accountant, because it affects tax, liability and cost. Settle it before you register names and build a brand.
Start with a Launch Call
Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage.
More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.