The information contained in this article should not be relied upon as legal, business, or tax advice. We encourage you to seek guidance from your legal counsel, business or tax specialist with regard to how the information contained in this article may or may not apply specifically to your business.

Do I Have To Put LLC On Everything For My Interior Design Business?

According to a 2022 survey conducted by Houzz, nearly half (49%) of the interior designers surveyed first registered their interior design business as a limited liability company (LLC). If you’ve registered your interior design business as an LLC, as well, it can be difficult to know when to state your business entity and when not to in certain circumstances. In this article, we’ve got answers to all your questions about how, when, and why to include LLC in your interior design business presence and when it’s not necessary to do so. 

When and when not to use LLC when running an interior design business

While we’ll go over this in more detail shortly, here’s a quick rundown of when you need to use LLC in your interior design business and when not to.

When it’s necessary to use LLC

• For contracts and legal purposes (e.g., supplier and client agreements, statements of work, compliance and regulation documents, terms and conditions, policies)
• For taxes and finances (e.g., company bank accounts, loans, insurance, bookkeeping and accounting, tax returns)
• For operations and agencies (e.g., quotes, invoices, expenses, payroll, certifications, business memberships)
• For other uses as needed (e.g., stationary, website and email footers, contact information)

When it’s not necessary to use LLC

• For marketing and advertising (online and offline)
• Social media 
• When using your “doing business as” (DBA) name(s) 

Should I put LLC in my interior design business name?

Do you have to put LLC in your business name is a very common question if you’ve registered your business as an LLC. But first, let’s define what a business name is. Your interior design business name is essentially the name you choose to add on paperwork when filing your business, including LLC formation documents and for your tax ID and returns. Some states require that you include LLC in your legally registered business name. However, you’re also able to register your business under a “trade name” or a DBA name, which doesn’t necessarily have to include LLC. 

Whether you want to have LLC in your interior design business name or not is up to you, though there can be some advantages to having LLC in your name, such as appearing more “official” and that clients are working with a separate entity that’s been established by law. To learn more about registering and naming your business, check out How to Register Your Interior Design Business and How to Name Your Interior Design Business.

Should I put LLC in my interior design business domain name?

What to do with adding LLC to your domain name or not is another important question that you need to address. So, should you put LLC in your interior design domain name? Keep in mind, adding your LLC to your domain name is not required, but let’s consider the pros and cons:

Pros to adding LLC in your interior design domain name

• It can create consistency if you decide to brand and market your business name with LLC included
• It can help shorter business names stand out and sound more legitimate

Cons to adding LLC in your interior design domain name

• It can make domain names a bit too long 
• It might not be as easy for clients to remember your exact domain name if LLC is included

In addition to your domain name, you might also be wondering, do I have to put LLC on my interior design business website? The short answer is yes, and you’ll definitely want to make sure your full LLC name is included on any “legalese” areas (e.g., privacy policy page, terms and conditions, copyright and others).

Want more info on how to set up your own business website? Explore “How to Build a Website for My Interior Design Business” to learn more.

Should I incorporate LLC in my interior design business logo?

Beyond your website, you might also be wondering, should I put LLC in my logo for my interior design business? This again is very subjective. If you decide to brand and market yourself with your full LLC name, then it may be best to be consistent in your business logo, as well. However, if you’re not going to be known in the market by your LLC name, we recommend keeping things simple and going without LLC included. Most modern business logos focus on simplicity of design and keeping the artwork and lettering as streamlined as possible, so you’ll want to keep this in mind when conceptualizing your logo. 

Should I put LLC on my interior design business cards?

Another great question to ask when considering your business presence is should I put LLC on my business card for my interior design business? While your logo might not need LLC included, it’s recommended to include LLC on your business cards as it helps establish your businesses’ legal identity and legitimacy.

Learn about more ways to market your business by reading “How to Get Interior Design Clients.”

Should I put LLC on my interior design business checks?

Just like with anything finance-related for your business, you should most definitely include your full LLC name on your business checks. This guarantees that your LLC is the legal entity that’s responsible for payment and not you yourself personally. Check out Do I Need a Separate Bank Account for My Interior Design Business? for more helpful information.

How to use commas and periods when using LLC in branding

It can be confusing how to format LLC when including it in your businesses’ presence, but rest assured that this can be entirely up to you. So if you want to include a comma between your business name and LLC, that’s perfectly fine. Or if you’d like to punctuate LLC as L.L.C., that’s acceptable too, though not as common or necessary as “LLC” is widely accepted. 

Conclusion

Now you know the ins and outs of how to incorporate LLC (and when not to) throughout your business and branding. Before moving forward with marketing and branding efforts, make sure to take some time to consider how you’d like your business to be represented for years to come. Investing in publicizing your business comes at a cost and, before building your brand, you want to make sure your name embodies exactly what you want your business to be. If you’d like to learn more about this important topic, read Should I Trademark My Interior Design Business Name?.