We started noticing a pattern where sellers would get mad about receiving a cold text, find our Google Business page, and leave us a one-star review.
This was frustrating because sellers who actually did business with us were leaving five-star reviews, and these knee-jerk one-stars were dragging our overall rating down.
Since 10 DLC requirements force us to put our business name in the signature of every outgoing text, we didn’t see a way around it. The trend was increasing — people having a bad day and taking it out on our Google rating, which sticks around forever.
The DBA Fix
The workaround we figured out was to create a DBA and add it to our 10 DLC registration as the signature on our initial outgoing messages. Now if someone wants to leave an angry review, they can’t just quickly Google our business name and find us.
We installed a speed bump.
So far so good. The one wrinkle is that when a lead gets pushed from the text platform to our acquisitions team, there can be a little confusion when they answer with our main business name. We’re watching this, but a simple explanation that it’s one division of our company seems to satisfy people.
How to File a DBA in NC for $26
Filing is straightforward. Fill out a simple form and file it with your Register of Deeds — no notarization required. The fee is $26.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
- You can file up to five DBAs on one form
- That $26 covers all NC counties you want, up to 100
- Here’s the form: NC Assumed Business Name Certificate — fill it out online, then download and print it
You’ll see LegalZoom and similar services come up first in search results offering to do this for a fee. Save your money — it’s just as easy to do it yourself.
Note: This applies to North Carolina. If you’re in another state, check with your local Register of Deeds — the process is usually similar.
Want More Strategies Like This?
If this was helpful, check out the Cool Wholesaling and Land Deals podcast on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts — we cover real-world strategies from active deals. Also grab the free multi-offer calculator if you haven’t already.