“I’m also very proud of creating a business that helps women and makes life simpler.”

Danielle Tate founded MissNowMrs.com after encountering a surprising amount of frustration when it came time to change her name after getting married.

MissNowMrs.com is the premier online name change service for brides. The service has assisted over 100,000 women in their transition from Miss to Mrs. by auto-completing all of their state and US government name-change forms as well as notification letters for all of their banks, credit cards, insurances, mortgages, etc. Typical time savings is 13 hours.

MO: What a great service. I know that most new brides face the daunting task of the name change challenge. What specifically inspired you to launch the site? Did you have an ‘aha’ moment during your own name change process?

Danielle: My own name-change misadventures sparked the idea for MissNowMrs. It took me three frustrating attempts to get my state driver’s license in my new name. I came home and vented to my husband that “Someone should create a site that completes all of the name change paperwork online”. His simple response: “You should do that”, motivated me to come up with a solution to the name change nightmare facing newlyweds nationwide.

MO: How does it the site work? Are there any features that you’re particularly proud of?

Danielle: It’s a three step process: Questions, Forms, File. The service guides customers through a quick questionnaire, uses their answers to auto-complete all of the appropriate state and U.S. government legal name change forms/notification letters and then supplies them with the inside scoop on the easiest way to file and skip long office lines. I’m very proud of our detailed instructions. They save so much time and cut through so much red tape. For example, in New Mexico you can use a credit card to pay for your new driver’s license as long as it isn’t a Visa. Knowing that ahead of time saves an entire trip back if you don’t have an alternate credit card or checkbook with you when you file. I’m also very proud of creating a business that helps women and makes life simpler.

MO: I would imagine that the name change process is different in each state. How did you manage to get a handle on the varied requirements around the country?

Danielle: Every state has different name change laws and filing processes. I have personally spoken with all 50 state DMVs to understand the requirements for name change on the state level. We also receive feedback from our customers if fees or details change in the filing process. It’s a very organic thing.

MO: You’ve recently expanded internationally with www.MissNowMrs.com/Canada. Were there any obstacles or challenges in transferring your business model for the Canadian market? Any other plans for further expansion?

Danielle: It was a challenge to understand another country’s name change process. With the U.S. version of MissNowMrs I had lived the process and could easily call and collect forms. Canada took much more research and a completely new set of code to make their questionnaire and forms work within our system. We’re always considering new ways to expand MissNowMrs.com…stay tuned. ☺

MO: In terms of marketing your site, can you share one tip that has really worked for you?

Danielle: Partnerships within the bridal and name change industry have been an integral part of making MissNowMrs a recognized brand. I would encourage any start up to look for key partners in their market to help gain attention for their new company or product. It’s a way reach the masses without wiping out your marketing budget.

MO: If I could grant you one business related wish right now, what would you ask for?

Danielle: I’d love to spread the word about the MissNowMrs service to all wedding guests and brides this season. A national TV interview would be a wonderful way to achieve that…so if you know Rachel Ray or Oprah please let them know I’m ready and willing to do an interview!