Choosing a business name: 8 tips to get started
Remember that your business name is a brand and your business is your baby. That’s why you must take time choosing a business name.
You don’t want to wake up one day and see your baby running around naked or being called a different name.
You need to be sure about naming your baby before you give it a name. Here are some tips for choosing a business name.
1. Choosing a business name that is meaningful.
One of the most crucial decisions you will ever make as a startup founder is what should be the name of your startup.
You’ve probably heard it before: “the name is the first impression” and that is true. You have to make it count.
So the question is – how you are going to decide the name of your company?
You can search for inspiration or even take a name from your family history. But the best option is to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What would you like to hear from your potential project?
Choosing a business name that is memorable and easy to say is necessary.
But remember that it must also be descriptive. It should be easy to figure out what your message is in just the name without having to read any further.
Avoid using names that are too vague (“The Company” or “The Online Store”) or too meaningful (“The Business” or “The Marketing Agency”).
To help you, consider the essence of your business
What is your business about?
This is the fundamental question behind your business name. To help you, check out our list of things you need to consider.
Write down your goals and mission statement. Then look at your business plan and your USP.
From there, you can begin to narrow down your list of names to ones that are appropriate for your business.
2. Stand out even using related words in your business name.
Choosing a business name is not an easy task for many entrepreneurs. They get caught into the trap of thinking that a name must be unique, and the more unusual it is the better.
They stick to words that are not related to their business and make a wrong interpretation that their business name is the most important marketing tool.
The truth is that it is the first impression of your business that creates the image of your company in the eyes of potential customers.
So, you should pay attention to the choice of your business name and avoid using the same name as your competitors.
You have to use some keywords related to your business but in a creative way.
You might want to look at how other businesses are using related words creatively.
For example, “Bamboo” is a great way to create a catchy name for a bamboo clothing store.
Or, if you’re starting a café, using a made-up word like “cuppa” will certainly get people talking. It’s a great way to stand out from the crowd and make your business memorable.
If necessary, make brainstorming while choosing a name for your business.
Brainstorming is the most important stage of the creative process. This is where you’ll generate ideas and generate the options that you will choose from when you start with the creative process.
The more creative and free-thinking you can be during this stage, the more ideas you will generate, and the more possibilities you will have to choose from. The more options you have, the better choices you will make.
It’s important to make sure that each name you consider has been thoroughly reviewed and vetted by other people. Brainstorming is a great way to come up with a wide variety of name ideas and to generate a healthy amount of ideas for you to choose from.
Now, give it time. Give yourself the time you need. Enough time to step back.
There is no need to rush this process. (It is hard enough to come up with a shortlist of names, and it’s even harder to narrow it down to a single name.)
Once you have an initial shortlist, give it time to see which one holds up over the next few days.
3. Select a name that is easy to say.
While it might be tempting to choose a name for your business that is complex, elegant, and sophisticated, you would do well to remember that your company name will soon be plastered across trucks, buildings, and websites. You need to be able to communicate your brand name through these mediums without making things too complicated. The best brands have simple names that are easy to spell, remember and communicate.
4. A name that has nothing to do with your competitors.
Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and use a name that may be too similar to a competitor of yours.
When thinking of a name, it’s important to be mindful of the other brands in the industry. You don’t want to choose a business name that is too similar to a competitor and end up appearing unoriginal.
The last thing you want is to open a business and have an unhappy customer come in, thinking you’re another competitor.
5. Your own name as a name for your business: a bad idea.
While you can use your own name, don’t be tempted. Your business name should tell people what you do as well as what you sell.
If you are a freelancer and you want to create your own brand, choosing a name for your business is easy.
You can select your own name and start your website. But if you are running a business that you want to grow in the future, you need to think about choosing another name.
You may need to change the name of your business if the business is not doing well or if you wish to sell it. This may affect your business’s value, branding, and even future plans.
6. Don’t use acronyms
It’s tempting to use acronyms in your marketing materials. After all, acronyms get attention. But using acronyms in your marketing materials can be a bad idea. Why? Because acronyms can be confusing.
At the beginning of your business, when your goal is to establish your brand and you are reaching out to the public, be very careful with acronyms. Acronyms are not universally understood. While some of your potential customers may know what your company is, they will be unable to relate to the acronym.
This can cause your brand to seem distant, unapproachable, or even snobby. The acronym of your company is a representation of your brand.
If your brand is to be considered trustworthy, it is important to avoid acronyms. If you find that you must use an acronym, it is best to use it in its entirety.
7. Think about your business evolution.
A scalable name is a name that you can easily expand upon and apply to related products and services.
Also, when thinking about a business or service name, make sure the name can be used in any city or area. You don’t want to have to change your website address when you move your business to other cities.
For example, if you run a cleaning service, you might want to name your business “Cleaners.” But if you plan to expand to other cities, such as New York, you might want to change your name to “City Cleaners.” It’s a simple change, but it’s something you want to consider when naming your business.
8. Make sure a related domain is available
This is a very important factor to keep in mind when you want to register a domain name. You need to make sure that the name you want to use is available. Check if the name you want to use is registered as a trademark. Use the search function of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Electronic Search System (Tess) to search for your trademark.
You should also run a series of searches with Google and other search engines to see if anyone has used it as a domain name or in a domain name. If it is available and is not being used, you have a great opportunity to register it as a trademark.
If you’re planning on having an online presence, which you definitely should, you’ll want to make sure the desired domain is available by doing a domain name check. Domain name checker is a free tool that checks to see if a domain name is available to register.
Registering a domain name is an important step for the success of your website.
Your domain name will tell the world what your site is about. It’s easier to remember than a bunch of numbers and letters. It’s an extension of your brand and tells customers what to expect from you. It helps you stand out from the crowd.
If it’s available, then you have the option of either buying it from the current owner or through a domain name registrar. Then, you can begin to create your website.
Choosing a business name can be tricky, and the more thought you put into it the better. Selecting your company’s name is not only crucial for officially launching your new venture, but it also matters when it comes to carving out your own position in the world of small businesses.
One thing to keep in mind as you move forward with choosing a name for your business is that you need something original.
Remember, common names will be used by other people too, so make sure there’s enough detail or that you use specific words so that customers know where you’re coming from at all times.
We hope that these tips for choosing a business name helped you!
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