Doing business under multiple different names

I started my own photography business about 5-6 years ago using my own name as my business name such as... John Smith Photography. I'm starting another direction with my photography work and do not want my name as the business name for this portion of my business. Instead I want to use something along the lines of (for instance)...Tri State Studios. This will all be the same business but just a different name.
The reason I want to do this is so the customers I'm after will remember this new name easier and easier to spell and shorter name. Does anyone here do that and do you have to regrister it as a seperate business? I will still do business using both names but very different clients.

Its fairly common. The key is how you set it up. I have not looked into it that far. But the difference is biggest when it is time to do taxes. You either end up doing a seperate filling for everything. Or it can be all done as one. Get a local professional to guide you along for what works best for you.

I would see about hiring a lawyer..... but there shouldn't be any issue with it. I actually know several guys who own multiple shops that always set each up as its own entity. That decreases liability and what not if something happens to one of the businesses.

If all you're looking for is the ability to do business under a different name (ie, get and send checks, mostly), then you just need a DBA for the new name. The tax impact would still be to John Smith Photography, but you could do business as the new name (while also continuing with John Smith Photography if you want).

You can do the entire DBA process online via legalzoom.com if you want.

Dave

tracknut wrote in post #13962472
If all you're looking for is the ability to do business under a different name (ie, get and send checks, mostly), then you just need a DBA for the new name. The tax impact would still be to John Smith Photography, but you could do business as the new name (while also continuing with John Smith Photography if you want).

You can do the entire DBA process online via legalzoom.com if you want.

Dave

Thanks Dave, this is kind of the way I was thinking as well. I need to take last years tax info to my accountant so I will be asking him as well.