To order a NUANS report, you should have a CC (Visa/Mastercard/Amex) & the prospective name for your business. When you click on the ORDER NUANS REPORT link, you can fill out the form, your CC will get charged & your information will be sent securely to our office. A NUANS specialist will then process your order.
When you register your business, the government will review the NUANS report using naming guidelines that require that the name be:
"THE TICKLE TRUNK" is a very distinctive name, but what do they do? "THE TICKLE TRUNK TOY FACTORY" adds the descriptive element that communicates what the company does.
| Distinctive (differentiates) | Descriptive (describes) |
| TELEFAX | COMMUNICATIONS |
| THE GREEN PIG | PRODUCE MARKET |
| JP LEBLANC | BODY SHOP |
If you are already operating an unregistered business with a name that is not distinct (AUTO REPAIRS), you will need to add a unique element to register (FAST FRED'S AUTO REPAIRS). Many businesses register a longer name but will use a short version for their marketing/business cards etc. since no one see the official registered name besides the government and the bank.
Federal or Provincial?
If you are running a small business, a provincial NUANS is what you need. Unless you have consulted a professional (lawyer/accountant), do not select federal NUANS as this is only good for creating a federal corporation and will not allow you to register in your home province.
Prior to submitting your business name to the NUANS system, we check the databank to see if there are any other existing businesses names that might conflict with the name your are proposing. If the name you have proposed is in conflict, we will email you for more names until we find a name that is not in conflict... NB - If the name proposed is both distinct and descriptive, it is much less likely to be rejected. However, governments make the final decision on name approval based on their own internal guidelines. If your proposed name is rejected you will need to select another name & and order another NUANS report for the new name.
If the proposed name meets the name requirements, we then submit your name into the NUANS system. The name is then reserved for 90 days (no one else can register or reserve that name) during which time you can register your business in the jurisdiction you have chosen. NB - only one name is reserved. If you require any changes to the name after the report is produced, another NUANS must be ordered as we cannot change the name once submitted to the NUANS databank.
A cover letter and NUANS report are emailed to you within hours. 99% of names proposed are accepted by the government because the pre-search catches most conflicts. If the search turns up no conflicting names, your proposed name is then reserved for 90 days. You must submit the NUANS report along with your business registration documents within 90 days or your reservation will expire and you will need another NUANS.
Most NUANS reports are accepted if the name is unique and descriptive. However in the rare case where the NUANS is rejected by the government, you will need to select another name & and order another NUANS report.