A DBA (Doing Business As) is necessary to open a bank account in your business name. You will register your DBA at your local county clerk's office. This usually costs anywhere between $25-$50 and you will also be required to run an ad in your local newspaper for four weeks declaring the name of your business. This is a very simple process and is not complicated in any way. You must do this whether or not you're registering the church. This is a whole separate process for a new business. This registration usually stands for five years, and then after that you must renew it. This could be different from state to state and town to town, so check with your local county clerk's office so that you know for sure how long your DBA registration lasts.

A business license is separate from the DBA. This is not registered with your County Clerk but rather with your chamber of commerce, or your city clerk's office. You will register this in your own town, and this lets the town manager's office know about a new business in town. These are usually very inexpensive, and they will ask you how many employees you have. If it is just yourself, it will be zero. You must also let them know where your business is located. This is important for the zoning and city planners to know about, so that they know where various businesses are operating. Be aware that there are some limitations with zoning. For instance you may have difficulty getting a business license if you are an office in an industrial zone where there is manufacturing and such things as that going on. Be aware that zoning is not always your best friend when starting your business. Most likely you will start your business in your home, and this is not an issue for most cities. Churches are often expected to be in residential districts, rather than office districts or industrial areas.

You do not actually have to register for a business license, even though you will need your DBA to open your bank account. If you are not trying to start a publicly visible business with employees in such, then you may want to wait on registering for your business license. If you are operating out of your home, you are probably fine with not registering for a business license. However, don't quote me on this! Check with your local township to find out what the requirements are.

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