Social Name of Auto-Entrepreneur | How to choose it?

SAS, SASU, SARL, EURL, Auto-Entrepreneur… It is mandatory for all companies to have a corporate name, regardless of their legal form. It is part of the mandatory legal notice on all official documents and websites of the company. But how does it work for a sole proprietorship? Find out everything you need to know about an auto-entrepreneur’s business name and how it’s used.

What is the corporate name?

Corporate name is the official name of a business. And this, regardless of its legal form (SAS, SASU, SARL…). It is part of legal notices and is therefore found on all documents of the company: invoices, KBIS extracts, tax statements, contracts, articles of association, etc.

This makes it possible for the company to be easily recognized and recognized by its partners, customers or even competitors.

The company name is chosen by the partner when the company is formed. Ideally, this should allow you to understand in seconds who the company is and possibly what it is doing. Choosing the right company name is an undeniable business advantage. Hence it should not be taken lightly or casually.

But the situation is quite different for the self-employed.

What is the corporate name of a self employed person?

specific case of self-employment

The self-entrepreneur carries out his activity as a natural person under his own name. This means that there is no difference between his person and his activity.

This distinction has many consequences, and especially at the level of the corporate name of the auto-entrepreneur as he has no choice.

Thus, the auto-entrepreneur has no corporate name: as a natural person, he is obliged to use his first and last names.

However, to stand out from its competitors, he may give his company a trade name. Although the latter has no legal value, it can turn out to be a good strategy. And if it can be mentioned on your official documents, it should always be accompanied by the business name of the auto entrepreneur.

difference between reason and company name

Company name and company name are both used to designate a company. However, there is a very slight difference between these concepts.

Thus, in theory, the corporate name essentially pertains to companies that have a civil purpose, such as for example SCI. It is intended to designate civil companies by the names of one or more partners, whether or not followed by “and company”. The corporate name is reserved for commercial companies.

In practice, the distinction between the reason and the company name remains blurred and is not really respected.

Choice of Corporate Name of a Self-Employed Individual: Business Name

In order to differentiate itself and make itself stand out in comparison to its customers and competitors, the auto-entrepreneur has the option of a corporate name.

Choosing a Business Name for Your Self-Employment Business

By choosing a business name, he is more likely to give a strong identity to his company as the business name of the self-employed person is limited to his last name. This will allow both to differentiate themselves from the competition, but at the same time to make themselves known to their customers or prospects through a distinct name and a brand image.

Even if it has no legal value, the trade name is essential for the communication of the self-employed, and therefore for the development of its activity. He will be able to display it on his website, social network, invoice etc.

That said, to choose your trade name, the auto-entrepreneur needs to follow 3 steps:

• Check Availability: You cannot select a business name that is already selected by a company. You can do an anticipation search on the INPI (National Institute of Intellectual Property) website to find out if your name idea is available. Also, if you are planning to build your own website, it is better to have a domain name available as well;
• Complete the procedures: If you know your business name prior to setting up your own business, you can indicate it directly on the Cerfa P0 creation form. On the other hand, if you later want to add a trade name to your self-business, you will need to request a modification of your company by filling out the Cerfa P2 form online;
• Ensure its security: In theory, your trade name is protected, but only at the level of your activity and your geographic area. Hence a direct competitor would not be able to choose this trade name. But other entities may choose this name if they perform an activity other than yours with a different localization. If you are planning to expand your business geographically or offer new services, it is advisable to register a trademark which will allow you to be the only person bearing this name.

However, you should know that trademark registration is a chargeable process.

Use the Trade Name of a Self-Employed Company

A self-employed company trade name is a real added value, which can be used to ensure the communication of your activity. So you can freely display it on your business cards, social networks and even administrative documents. But be careful, these should also have your company name on it.

Exchange with the Administration is carried out exclusively with the name of your company. Likewise, remember to indicate both your business name and your company name to the postal services to ensure that you are correctly identified. Finally, to open a self-employed bank account, you should again use your first and last names, not your business name.

In short, the use of your business name is reserved for your communications.

Change the business name of your self-employed business

Being free to choose a trade name, the auto-entrepreneur can completely change it in the course of his activity. To do this, you must fill out a Business Amendment Declaration Form (Cerfa P2) online at autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr or file it with the Registry of the Commercial Court on which your auto-enterprise depends.

general question