How to choose a name for your business
Choosing the right name for your business shouldn’t be rushed. There are many things to consider when choosing a successful name for your company. Here are some things to consider.
Be clear or be abstract?
Your company name could reflect what your business does. It’s clear and doesn’t need any explanation. The drawbacks is that it could be restricting if you decide later to branch out into other areas.
“Leafy tree trimming” “Blooming Flowers”
There have been many very successful companies that have names that are more abstract. They don’t state what the business is about but they work well in all areas of business as they expand.
“Amazon” “Sainsburys” “Moon Pig”
Should you include your location?
Adding your location to your name seems like a good idea but it may become a problem if you change locations or if you expand your business then it looks as if you only serve the area you specify and this could be very limiting for the future. Whether you add your location or not really depends on if you feel you any of these points will be an issue for you.
“Sunbury Windows” “Cards for Cardiff”
Using your name
Many people use their name as their business name. This gives the impression that it is a business run by a sole person. In some cases this can work well as it shows that the client will get a personal service. If you plan on increasing your work force do you feel that using your name will work so well? If you are female and single, what would happen to your company name if you got married? And if you are married, what about if you got divorced? Well you never know!
“Marta Cayzer Photography” “Kelly’s Cakes”
Traditional or modern?
Think about how your name will sound 10 years from now? Will it date or sound just as fresh as it did today? Maybe you want a classic name from the past.
“Telephonic” “Caths Classic Cakes”
Is your name catchy and memorable?
Your name should be easy to spell and remember. Obviously the shorter the better and try and avoid strange words and unusual spelling. Do you want to explain it’s Cuts with a ‘z’ everytime?
What does your name mean?
If you are planning to do business with other countries it may be worth check to see if your company name doesn’t have another meaning in those countries. It could end up painting a negative picture of your company without you realising.
Is it already being used?
Check to see if there are any companies that are the same or similar that you wouldn’t want to be mistaken for. You could also lose business easily if a customer confused your name and ended up calling a different company. This can be checked easily by searching the internet, checking phone books and directories for your business name or similar sounding names.
Ask your friends and family
With so much to consider it can be hard to come up with some good names. Ask your friends and family or post a request on Facebook for people to give you ideas. Then go through the points above and rate each idea out of 10.
Pin a piece of paper up in your kitchen or office and write down any words that pop into your head as you think of them then sit down and play around with them until you find something that works. Check it then works with all the points here and before long you will come up with the ideal company name.
One last thing…
Think you’ve worked it out? If you are planning to set up a website for now or the future, have you considered how your name works as a domain name? Read our blog on Choosing the right domain name for more advice and tips.
