You’ve got a business, now you need to come up with a name for it. Big companies hire experts, do studies and spend a fortune to come up with just the right name, and screw it up all the time. So what does the microbusiness owner do? For one thing you can’t do worse than some of the dumb names out there. You can even do better with some creativity and work.
There are some basic rules to follow so you don’t end up with something like Whoopi’s Cushions.
- Pick a name that is memorable, easy to spell and easy to pronounce. You want customers to remember it, not think it is clever and then forget it. Sitzlqu is different, but who’s going to remember it?
- Pick a name that suggests what you do to. That will make it easier for people to find and remember you. Bob’s Flowers tells people you sell flowers. But don’t use a name that is too restrictive. Bob’s Flowers isn’t so good if you also sell garden tools and lawn furniture and have food items.
- Match your name to the image you want to present. Fresh Flowers tells them you have flowers and sends a positive, descriptive message about the quality of what you sell.
- Think carefully before you limit yourself to a geographic region. If you ever think you’ll move beyond that market it will take a lot to overcome that name. How does Lake Wazoo Flowers sound when it is in Bakersfield? Not so good. Don’t forget about the web audience as well. Of course this doesn’t always hold true. Fredericks of Hollywood sends just the right message.
- Don’t let your name be too similar to your competitors’ names. You want to stand out, not be lost in the crowd.
- Your name is a big part of your brand, your image. Don’t make it so cryptic you have to explain it – you won’t have the time or money for that. But if you just have to have that great mystic name, come up with a tag line to go with it that explains what the heck it means and what you do.
- Consider design elements – cost, logo, layout on paper, web. Try out different designs with your name. If you will be printing signs, remember you pay by the letter so longer names will cost you more. It always helps to have a name that starts with a letter from the front of the alphabet.
- Check the web for url’s you can use.
- Make sure there are no double or hidden meanings, no foreign language goofs. Try not to not too cute or clever.
- Unless you are the star and have a star power name, don’t name the business after yourself.
- Remember the legal aspects of picking a name. If you are using a fictitious name, that is, something other than your own name, you’ll probably have to register it with your county. If you are incorporating you’ll need to check with your state. If you’ve got a name that you want to protect, take a look at trademarking it. The SBA has a page with lots of info for these questions.
The bottom line is that you can use any kind of name:made-up, abstract, cute, funny, descriptive or informative. They can all work for your business if you use them correctly. A good name helps make you stand out and be memorable. It can help your microbusiness get a leg up. A bad one can do the opposite, but neither will be make or break a business on its own. It all depends how they are used.
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