Business Name vs Company Name in Australia: What's the Difference?
They're not the same thing, and mixing them up costs people money. Here's the plain-English difference and which one you actually need.
One of the most common mix-ups for new Australian business owners is thinking a business name and a company name are the same thing. They're not - they do different jobs, cost different amounts, and registering the wrong one (or neither) can leave your name unprotected or your invoices technically wrong.
What a business name is
A business name is simply the name you trade under. If you're a sole trader called Dave Smith and you want to operate as "Smith's Mowing", you register "Smith's Mowing" as a business name with ASIC and link it to your ABN. It costs around $44 for one year or about $102 for three years (check ASIC for current fees).
Important: registering a business name doesn't create a separate legal entity and doesn't stop someone else registering a similar company name. It's a trading name, not ownership of the brand - for real protection, that's trademark territory.
What a company name is
A company name only exists when you register a company with ASIC - a separate legal entity with its own ACN. The name must end in "Pty Ltd" (for a proprietary limited company) and must be available. Registering a company costs several hundred dollars in ASIC fees, plus ongoing annual review fees and more admin: separate tax returns, ASIC compliance, director duties.
Which one do you need?
- Trading under your own name ("Dave Smith")? You don't need to register a business name at all.
- Sole trader trading under a brand name? Register a business name and link it to your ABN.
- Want liability protection, planning to grow, or clients require it? That's a company - and the structure question is worth proper advice from an accountant, because tax and liability differences are real.
The step people forget: the domain name
Before you register anything, check the matching domain name is available. There's no point registering "Coastal Clean Co" if coastalcleanco.com.au is taken and the .com is a competitor. Your business name, domain and Google listing should all match - it's how customers find you and how Google connects the dots.
If you'd rather have the name, domain, website and setup handled together in the right order, that's exactly what the Business Starter service does. And once you're trading, the $45/week website keeps the online side built, hosted and managed. For the bigger picture on setup order, see our guide to starting a business in Australia.
Before you register a name
- Checked the name is available on ASIC's register
- Checked the matching .com.au domain is available
- Checked the name isn't trademarked by someone else
- Decided your structure (sole trader vs company) - with advice if unsure
- ABN sorted, or ready to apply
- Social media handles checked for the same name
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Talk to Mike About SEOCommon questions
- Do I need to register a business name as a sole trader?
- Only if you trade under a name that isn't your own personal name. If you invoice as 'Jane Citizen', no registration is needed. If you invoice as 'Jane's Garden Care', you need to register that business name with ASIC.
- Does registering a business name protect it?
- Not fully. It stops someone else registering the identical business name, but it doesn't give you exclusive rights to the brand - only a trademark does that. It also doesn't stop someone registering a similar company name.
- Can I have a business name without a company?
- Yes - that's the most common setup for sole traders. The business name is linked to your personal ABN. You only get a company name by registering an actual company, which is a separate legal entity with more admin and cost.
Written by Mike - Web Guy Mike
I build and look after websites for Australian tradies and small service businesses. Every site is built by me - no outsourcing, no account managers. More about Mike.