I want to start a photography business. I am setting up a little studio in my house and, while still working my regular job full-time, I’d like to take portraits and hopefully make a little money. I am not planning for this to turn into a fabulous exciting career, I just want to pursue my hobby and make enough money to cover at least part of the expensive photo equipment I am pining for.
I am now in the process of designing a website. While researching online I found some photographers who use their real names, but many use business names like “Artistic Expressions” or “A Touch of Romance”, or use a different name for themselves, like Lithium Picnic (nee Philip Warner).
Should I use my real name as the name of my company? What would be the disadvantage of using my real, full name? It’s so ingrained in me to protect my identity online that setting up a website under my own name feels like it has to be wrong, somehow.
My husband thinks I’m being paranoid and, when I couldn’t come up with one good solid reason not to use my full name, I have to admit he might be right. Am I just being weird?
Even if you call your company “Photographic Expressions” or whatever, aren’t you going to put your name on there somewhere? I would think it was weird if I couldn’t find a name on a photographer’s website. If so, how different is that from just using your name as the company name?
One reason, shit happens. You get sued, shut down, make a horrific mistake and develop a bad rep, etc. By using a DBA you have disassociated your name from that of the business to the general public. Sure its public record, but few people look. For example my business, if I wanted to pull a new DBA and reform under a new name, people who were unhappy with me before might come back thinking its a new biz. I have seen a number of businesses do exactly that on purpose. Disconnecting from Antist Photo will be more difficult because anyone who learns your full name may associate that with the old business that had a problem with.
You could just use your first name, “Mary’s Photography Studio”.
However, if you actually pay to have your own site, it doesn’t take a lot of research to find out not only your name, but your address and phone number as well - this is public record when you register a domain name. If you don’t believe me, go here and type in your domain name.
So you might as well use your full name.
I have had my website registered and anyone could find me…but other than a few scams trying to trick me into paying some needless fee to keep my domain name, I have not received any mail, phone calls or unwanted visitors to my house simply because my name and address are associated with my website…there are millions of domains and addresses out there. I sincerely doubt anyone will bother you.
what **drachillix ** said. sock puppets are allowed outside the sdmb. when you put your own name to the company you personalise it and lose what little ‘limited liability’ on the goodwill of your name.
also, your own name might not be as catchy as something else you might think up of.
Thanks, everybody! I think I have decided to just go with my full name.
When I went to that link (whois.net) and checked websites, I was surprised. I had no idea all that information was so easily available. Thanks, DMark.
I did find one site that was registered through Domains By Proxy, and none of their personal information was accessible. I haven’t actually set up my site yet, but I think I might try them. Anyone have any experience with Domains By Proxy?