ATLANTIC NAME SEARCH

We offer service within 1 to 3 hours.

Please note that during our extended office hours, which run from 8:00 am to 5pm on weekdays. If you submit a name Search Request outside these hours you may have to wait until the next day. 

However, sometimes a particular name may take a little longer to make a determination of its availability, if there are possible complications or other similar names.

If you for reason you haven't received your NUANS report within that time frame, please give us a call at (506) 800-1803 and we'd be happy to give you a status update.

The cost of a NUANS report is $64. This includes our ultra-fast turnaround service, our "one-fee-one-approved-report" Policy that gives you a second or third or fourth name search if your first choice isn't accept or available - no extra cost, it's all included in the one fee!

We offer the only bilingual NUANS service that also allows you to submit and pay for a NUANS report online from the comfort of your home. Many search houses require you to phone ahead or make an appointment ahead of time, which isn't alwasy convenient in today's schedules.

Other name search companies may charge you extra for consultation if you have questions regarding what form to fill out after you receive the name search. We provide that information for free on our website or via a phone call.

The NUANS system is a computerized name search comparing your proposed name with all the other registered names in its database.

You'll get the official NUANS Report required for your desired province and a cover letter.

The search is an Atlantic-biased search and we are an approved NUANS provider - the Corporate Registry will accdept the report.

(If you buy from a non-approved provider, they will not accept it.)

After having a successful name search, your proposed company name is reserved for a period of 3 months. You have until that time to officially complete the registration of your company with that name.

An initial pre-search of your proposed name is performed, and if there are any issues we will contact you before carryfing out your first choice name search. The initial pre-search is included in the cost of the report.

Every company name in NB is required to have: -  a Distinctive element and a Descriptive element.

The distinctive element is what makes your name unique. The descriptive element tells your potential customers what type of service or product you offer them. Take, for example, "Gemini Heating and Plumbing". "Gemini" is the distinctive, while "Heating and Plumbing" is the descriptive.

One could not, for example, simply register "Gemini", nor simply register "Heating and Plumbing". Gemini isn't descriptive enough alone, while Heating and Plumbing isn't distinctive alone.

Every company name in NB is required to have a Distinctive element and a Descriptive element.

The distinctive element is what makes your name unique. The descriptive element tells your potential customers what type of service or product you offer them. Take, for example, "Gemini Heating and Plumbing". "Gemini" is the distinctive, while "Heating and Plumbing" is the descriptive.

One could not, for example, simply register "Gemini", nor simply register "Heating and Plumbing". Gemini isn't descriptive enough alone, while Heating and Plumbing isn't distinctive alone.

We accept MasterCard and Visa. We also will be accepting e-Transfer in the near future.

Currently, all credit card transactions are handled securely via PayPal.

You don't need a PayPal account, you can simply enter your credit card information at the PayPal page. PayPal is simply the secure processor.

If it asks you to sign up for PayPal, just look for the "Don't have PayPal" or "Pay with Credit Card" button and click on it first.

If you aren't a fan of paying online, you can always submit the name search, then give us a call at (506) 800-1803 to complete the payment via phone call.

Our name search goes beyond simply finding an exact match. We look for names that are similar phonetically, as well as similar enough that it may cause confusion.

For example, "Shar Construction" would be considered similar to "Char's Construction", and even similar to "Shaar Renovations." Although the words are different, the services carried out by both companies could be similar, and considering the phonetic similarity to the name, chances are it would be considered too similar.

Our incorporation specialists will comapre you dessired name with the results of the search, and review it againts the naming guidelines to determine the availability of the name.

Even if your name is found to be similar, you may still have a chance to use it.

We will send you more instructions if that happens, but in most cases you  request written permission from the other company to use the similar name.

In other cases, you may choose to modify your proposed name and we will prepare and send you a second NUANS report free of charge.

Sometimes we are asked why you can't register business names that are just a single word, such as "Geminis Inc.".

We are told that "other companies do it all the time", for example Sears,  Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Bell, Rogers, and so on.

However, those aren't the official company names. Their officially registered company names have multiple words. The name you see is their trademarked name/logo on a sign. 

While there are some exceptions, typically a New Brunswick or Nova Scotia business name requires a Distinctive element and a Descriptive element - which typically means at least two words. 

One word names don't usually have both, and it will not be accepted by the government. (Some coined words MAY be an exception, for example if it has both a distinctive and descriptive in it.)

After receiving the NUANS report, the report is valid and the name is reserved for 90 days. You have until that time to complete your registration with the Corproiate Registry for NB or the Registry of Joint Stock Companies in NS.

After that, unfortunately you will need to purchase a new NUANS report and payment.

Once you have received the NUANS report and Cover Letter, you must fill out the appropriate government forms to officially register your business.

Processing time is about one week when you print the forms, and less if you complete it online. A credit card is required to process the fee online, while a cheque is accepted for the printed forms.

If you aren't sure if you need a Federal Name Search Report, then chacnes are you do not.

The majority of clients that order a Federal Report end up changing it to a New Brunswick or Nova Scotia report after I talk to them.

Please note that you can't use a Federal Report to register a business name in NB or NS.

Typically, a Federal Report is ordered by companies that has or will have offices in several provinces. After registering Federally, they also register extra-provincially in each province with an office. That requires a provincialy NUANS report for each province registering in.

While Federal Incorporation may be for you, for many small businesses it represents unneccessary paperwork, fees, and registrations.

If you register your business in New Brunswick, yes you can sell your products to the rest of the world.

You don't need to be registered Federally to do so.

If you start having high demand, offices or employees in other provinces, though, then likely you will want to register in that province at that time.

However registering your business in New Brunswick does not limit you from acquiring clients around the world.