Month 2 of building my cleaning service franchise and I already learned an expensive lesson about naming. Here's what happened: I spent WEEKS coming up with the perfect name for my business: "SparkleClean Solutions." I was so proud of it. Catchy, descriptive, professional. Did all the creative stuff - designed a logo, printed business cards, built a website, set up social media accounts, even bought branded van decals. Then I tried to officially register my LLC. Rejected. Turns out there's already a "Sparkle Clean Services" registered in my state. The Secretary of State considers "Solutions" vs "Services" too similar - same industry, phonetically identical, confusingly similar to existing business. I thought I'd done my homework. I Googled the name, checked domain availability, even searched Instagram. But I never checked the actual STATE BUSINESS DATABASE where registered entities live. The damage: * $450 in printed materials (business cards, flyers, stickers) * $280 for van decals that never got used * $1,200 website design (had to rebrand everything) * $150 in domain purchases I can't use * $800 in lost time (about 40 hours redoing everything) * Plus the mental frustration of starting over What I should have done (and what I'm sharing so you don't repeat this): Before you fall in love with a name, do this IN ORDER: 1. Check your state's business registry FIRST - Every state has a searchable database. This is the most important step. Don't skip it. 2. Search USPTO trademark database - Even if your state allows it, someone might have federal trademark protection that trumps state law. 3. Test multiple variations - Search similar spellings, phonetic matches, shortened versions. States often reject "confusingly similar" names. 4. Check if you can actually USE restricted words - I almost picked "Certified Home Services" until I learned "Certified" implies professional credentials I don't have. Could've faced legal issues. 5. Think about future expansion - My new name "ClearView Home Services" works for cleaning but also for future services like organizing, handyman work, etc. I eventually found an article on incorp that breaks down the ENTIRE legal naming process - wish I'd read it BEFORE starting. It covers state requirements, prohibited terms, DBA rules, trademark conflicts, everything I learned the hard way. My new process: * Brainstormed 10 names * Eliminated 6 after state database search * Eliminated 2 more after trademark search * Tested remaining 2 with potential customers * Registered immediately once approved * THEN started branding work Second takeaway - REGISTER FAST: Once you confirm a name is available, register it IMMEDIATELY. While I was redesigning my logo with my new name, someone else registered the name I wanted as my backup option. These databases are public - competitors and name squatters can see what you're searching. Total time from "great name idea" to "officially registered and ready to brand": 4 days with the new process vs 6 weeks of wasted work the first time. TL;DR: Check your state's business name database BEFORE doing anything else. Don't be like me and waste money on branding a name you can't legally use. The 30 minutes of research upfront saves weeks of expensive rework. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way? Or am I the only idiot who skipped the basics?