Orange County Register

Orange County entrepreneurs filed fewer new fictitious business names in March than in the past four years, according to the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s office.

The numbers were 11.3% higher than in February, but remember, February with the fewest days tends to be the month with the fewest filings every year, while March tends to be the highest.

Comparing 2009 with previous years, filings are down. Here are the data:

Source: O.C. Clerk-Recorder Office

The first quarter is still lower than a year earlier: The 9,898 new fictitious business names filed in Q1 ‘09 are down 5.8% from ‘08.

Owners file fictitious business names when they open new businesses, change ownership or move. The statistic is one indication of growth or contraction in the local economy.

Even though the filings show a continued slide from previous years, the March numbers are  11.3% higher than the average of the previous 12 months.  That’s because filings fell off a cliff last November when the credit crisis increased uncertainty both locally and nationwide.

It is possible the uptick from the 12-month running average is an early sign the Orange County business climate is stabilizing. These numbers bear watching in coming months.

Other economic stories…

• Single businesses can thrive when recession rages
• Hospital pitches health jobs to young Latinos
• No surprise: government overestimated revenue
• IRS refunds averaging $2,705
• $49 million more O.C. property tax going unpaid
• Bailed-out banks face scrutiny over fee hikes
• Tech job layoffs hit 7-year high

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.