b'How to Legally Raise Private MoneyPOSITIONING YOUR COMPANY IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR LONGTERM SUCCESSChoose A NameStart by forming a company with a name you like. If you expect to be in this business for long, the company needs a name you can brand. Your track record of performance is measured against that brand. Choose the first one or two words of the name, and then build on it or slightly modify it for subsequent companies. The name you use should be memorable and easy to pronounce and spell. Then check with an internet website hosting company to see if the domain name is available with a dot.com suffix. Try to avoid using the alternative suffixes such as .net or .org be-cause people tend forget these and might not find you. Keep selecting names until you find one thats available. Do an online search to see if someone else is using a similar name. If so, reconsider the name you want, as it will be a hardship to brand your business and then get a cease and desist letter from someone else using a similar name. Next, check with the secretary of state in the state where you live (or Delaware if you are doing a blind pool offering) to see if the business name is available. Most states have a website where you can do an online business search. Plug in the first two words of your selected name and see what comes up. If there are already companies using the same first two words you have chosen, the state likely will reject your business filing, un-less its your company and you can provide a consent letter on your letter-head authorizing use of a similar name. Sometimes this can be remedied by adding a couple of letters or numbers (such as the building address) in front of your branded business name. Dont blow your best name on a single project, as it will taint it for future use as your branded name. Think long-term about how you might use the suite of names you will use as you grow your business or do successive offerings.Check with an attorney before you form your company to make sure you are forming the company in the right place. He or she will also determine whether the legal entity or structure you have selected is appropriate for 114'