Tips on picking my company's name
Company's name
Setting up a company is a challenge but thinking of a company/brand name can be more challenging. The name you choose will be the name that your customers will identify you so it should define the image you want to portray.
But what names are allowed? What should you consider before thinking of a company name in Singapore?
A list of tips to help you come up with a perfect name:
- No obscene names
- Use caution around some words that may require additional licences: Some ordinary sounding words trigger closer inspection from regulatory bodies where additional licences may be needed. These include words like “Academy” (which get sent to the education authorities). Also beware of words like “education”, “university”, “bank”, and “insurance”, for similar reasons.
- No already existing name: If you are interested in knowing whether the name in your mind is identical to an existing or already reserved name, you can use the Entity Search Function that you can find on the ACRA Bizfile website.
- Your “trading name” can be different from your “legal name”: A company can have a legal name that is different from its ‘trading name’, or the name it uses on its signage. For example, your company name might be Cool Guys Software Technologies Pte Ltd – but you might have a logo and trade/advertise under the name “Cool Guys”.
Unlike other countries, there’s no requirement to file your trading name with ACRA. There are however requirements for disclosure of the underlying business or company’s registered name and unique entity number – so you would still need to disclose your legal company name on your website, contracts, invoices, and other ‘official’ documentation.
