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The name of your business not only identifies you to your customers, but also allows you to differentiate yourself from your competitors and enables your customers to make an emotional connection to your business and brand. For many businesses, the name is often one of the most valuable assets.

A trading name is the name under which a business trades or is known by.

The Australian Business Register (ABR) is working with Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) in preparation for the retirement of trading names.

To continue trading under a specific name, you need to register it as a business name. After a business name is successfully registered it will appear on ASIC’s business names register and the ABN Lookup.

From November, all trading names will be removed from ABN Lookup. Only registered business names will continue to be listed, so check you have registered your trading name as a business name with ASIC by then.

Fun Fact: One third of all trading names have not been registered as business names.

Lloyd Priddle

Lloyd has had a very successful career as an accountant, director and author for almost 40 years. Holding post-graduate qualifications in Business, Lloyd has specialised in Business Development, and worked with the Queensland Government and local councils on numerous occasions through association with AusIndustry and the SBAS Natural Disaster Assistance Program. He is also board member of a number of commercial and not-for-profit entities.