When making initial plans to start a business, it is imperative to select an appropriate business name. The business name should clearly indicate what goods or services are provided by the entity. Therefore, inclusion of any applicable descriptive words in the business name should be considered. In addition, it is necessary to check to see if there are any other businesses utilizing the proposed name. If so, one should be certain to alter their proposed name such that it is distinguished from the other businesses. Furthermore, one must check to make sure there is no infringement on any trademarked names. It is possible to research this matter at no cost simply by visiting the United States Patent and Trademark Office at their website. Finally, it is always a good idea to check with the Secretary of State where the business will be registered in order to ascertain whether any businesses are conducting themselves with the name you are seeking to use.