emily

Thank you! That was extremely helpful My name is available so that's good. Is there anything else I need to do? I'm just afraid that I'm going to do something wrong or forget to do something thats really important. I appreciate any and all advice!

Hello all! I'm new to the boards and have been working on bath & body products for a about 2 years now. At first I made them just for myself (cause i'm so darn picky about scents & packaging hehe), then realised how much I liked doing it & started making a few things to give as gifts for friends. Well over the past couple of weeks one of my friends told me her friend, who owns a really cute boutique, used some of her lotion and fell in love with it & now wants to carry it in her stores all over the state! I've always loved making b&b products and over the past month or so I have been really researching making a business out of this. I understand this takes a lot of time and $ but I really want to give it a try. My best friend majored in graphic design & has already designed a website for me...the thing I'm really having problems with is all the legal business. I understand the insurance thing & will be purchasing insurance ($500 annually for $1mil coverage). But how do I go about with registering my business name? I have searched the forum and read several posts about it but I still just don't get it. I will be selling online so I don't want to just have my name protected throughout the state. Do I need a trademark for this? I live in Texas if this matters. I'm also confused on a business license & tax ID number. Are there any websites for Texas small business information? Thanks so much everyone!