Deciding on a name is one of the most exciting parts of starting a business.
The only problem with choosing your business name is that a lot depends on your business name. It is a bit like choosing a name for your baby. A bit like? Make it look a lot alike! It is not easier to choose a name for your business than to choose a name for your baby.
What’s in a business name? You want it to be everything. Unfortunately, many trade names are nothing. Deciding on a great business name takes time. You need to think. Plus, getting it wrong could spell disaster for your business. However, getting it right will give clients a reason to hire you, connect you with their niche, and save you thousands of dollars on marketing.
You want your business name to have a great impact on people. This, in turn, will have a great effect on your market. A name that is too far away can make branding difficult. A name that is too generic and common is easily ignored. Your company name “Sarah’s Cookies” may make all the sense in the world to you. In most cases, however, your own name means very little to your clients because it says nothing memorable or distinctive.
The key to choosing a great name for your business is to make it memorable. Make it distinctive. Don’t make it silly or cute. Your name should reflect your niche and identity and be able to easily reach your customer base. So don’t screw it up!
The top five characteristics of a great business name
1. It’s short.
2. It is specific and reflects a specialized business: Jiffy Lube, Home Depot.
3. It is unique. Consider using words that are not in the dictionary: Alkamae, Google, Squidoo.
4. He is creative. Do not copy, borrow, or modify existing famous brands. Do you have milk? has its own brand. Leave Victoria’s Secret to Victoria.
5. It is an easy name to say, spell and remember. Use a proper English construction so that when put into a sentence, it works: “I just bought a book on Amazon.”
Five Popular Business Name Trends to Avoid
1. Do not abbreviate your company name. Although it can facilitate communication and correspondence, acronyms are sterile.
2. Avoid anything that ends in “global”, business “or” Inc. “They are from the past.
3. Avoid using your own name. Build your brand on your business, not your name. That way, if one day you decide to sell your company, it will be easier to sell it.
4. Don’t hyphenate your business name. Makes remembering and writing difficult. Also, a hyphenated web name is difficult to read.
5. Avoid geographic names unless you are trying to create a strong local affinity. The name “Willow Oak Center for Arts and Learning in Robertson County” works because it is a business specifically aimed at Robertson County in Tennessee.
Once you’ve found your name, consider registering it through the US Patent and Trademark Office and registering it through the Secretary of State offices. If your business operates on the Internet, keep in mind that domain names are not registered through the state or local government, so simply registering them with domain registration sites is not enough to protect your excellent business name. .
Naming your business involves much more than just thinking of something that sounds good, is smart, or that you just like. Naming your business is serious business. The name of your company reflects your image, your brand and your position in the market. Because your business name is crucial to the overall success of your brand and your marketing efforts, make your business name count.
Make it cool!