I received this from a reader this morning:

What are the advantages of a "dba"?

We currently operate in NY, are registered in Delaware and now want to open a small branch office in Chicago.

We want to keep the Chicago operations under the NY office name, but with segregation as far as work is concerned and a slightly different identity.

If you can please advise on the same.

TK

"DBA" stands for "Doing Business As". It's also sometimes referred to as a "fictitious business name" or "assumed name" in the U.S. or "trading as" in the U.K. It exists almost entirely for branding purposes, i.e., how you present yourself to the public. It does not create a new legal entity. DBAs are commonly used by sole proprietors to create a business identity without the expense of incorporating.

For an incorporated business, though, there are two main advantages to having an assumed name:

Obama ran on a platform of strong support for small business, including tax cuts, expanded SBA lending, a network of business incubators and more. But with the tab on economic stimulus packages rapidly approaching a trillion dollars, the budget may simply not be available for some of the proposed changes.

Inc. takes a closer look at how issues important to small business may play out in 2009, including taxes, health care, financial regulation, labor and energy.

Thinking of getting venture capital funding for your business this year? If so, you'll want to pay close attention to Joey Tamer's 2009 Venture Investment Outlook. As you might expect, the economy has tightened up investment dollars. And with the IPO market drying up, valuations on acquisitions will likely be lower. Still, funds have money to invest, and if the promised U.S. capital gains tax cuts go through, that's a free extra 15% return for investors.

Want to get ready for venture funding? Here are a few key steps and help to guide you through them:

1. Write (or re-write) your business plan.
2. Review your business plan for mistakes that will keep you from getting funded.
3. Re-organize as a standard "C" corporation (or whatever the appropriate structure is in your country). VCs typically don't invest in LLCs or "S" corps. Start the process early rather than have it delay your funding deal.
4. Get your financial statements in order.
5. Understand your real market potential and make a realistic estimate of it. A ridiculously high or low estimate will turn off potential investors instantly.
6. Build and work your network to find potential investors.

Over the past year, I've had an increasing interest in the power of story. It's a form of communication that helps us connect on an emotional level. As such, it also helps us remember events in more detail. Think about your oldest memories -- most of them are stories, not just random sounds and images.

As we move into the new year, this is a great time to reflect on the events of 2008. As you do so, consider this: what were the stories that defined 2008 for you? What were the events that shaped your life for years to come? What happened in 2008 that you will tell your children? Or your future customers, employees and investors?

Capture those stories while they're fresh in your memory. Record them in a blog, or just in a document if you don't have a blog. Feel free to share your stories (or a link to them) in a comment below or start a new discussion in our Entrepreneurs Forum.

Looking for some inspiration? Here are some of the stories I've collected over the past few months from readers:

• Startup Stories #1
• Startup Stories #2
• Startup Stories #3
• Startup Stories #4