{"id":3571,"date":"2022-10-19T11:51:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T15:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ontariobusinesscentral.ca\/blog\/?p=3571"},"modified":"2025-08-07T10:19:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:19:42","slug":"how-to-change-the-name-of-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariobusinesscentral.ca\/blog\/how-to-change-the-name-of-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Change the Name of Your Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you want to change your business name, there are two different business types.\u00a0 One is a registered business and the other is an incorporated business.\u00a0 The abilities to change your business name vary based on how your business is currently established.\u00a0 If you already have registered or incorporated business and now wish to change the legal name of your business, you are able to do this no matter what type of business you operate.<\/p>\n

Registered Business<\/h3>\n

This business category falls under a number of different names including Master Business Licence, registered business, Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Trade name, Partnership, Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership.<\/p>\n

If you have completed a Master Business Licence\/License or registered business as a Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Trade Name or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) and wish to change to a new business name, you will need to register a new business.\u00a0 The group of available registered businesses under any of the business acts across all Provinces do not allow the business name to change from a current registration.\u00a0 This may seem frustrating, but this is where the limitations of your current registration type come into play.\u00a0 It does not mean that you can\u2019t start a new registration under the new business name, you will just not have the history of the business name as it currently stands.<\/p>\n

What are my options when I have a registered business but want to change the name?<\/h4>\n

Option 1 – You can register a new business name and keep the current registration and operate both business names at the same time.<\/p>\n

Option 2 – You can register the new business name and cancel the current registration to avoid any confusion or tax implications moving forward on an old registration you are no longer using.<\/p>\n

Option 3 – You can incorporate the new business name and gain not only the name protection but the ability to change your business name in the future without needing to incorporate another business name.<\/p>\n

How long does it take to register a new business?<\/h4>\n

It depends on the jurisdiction you are registered in.\u00a0 For Ontario, the registration of a new business can be completed on a same day basis Monday through Friday,\u00a0 For Alberta, it can take a few days and there are tiers of payments, depending on how quickly you wish to have your registration completed.<\/p>\n

We can assist you to register the new business name<\/a> in many jurisdictions in Canada, including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.\u00a0 You cannot register a business with the Federal government and only have the option to incorporate with this jurisdiction.\u00a0 We simply need the details of your new registration and credit card details to complete the transaction online easily and simply.<\/p>\n

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