What you choose to name your business will have a deep effect on its overall success.
Naming your business wrong will not only turn away customers but it might cause future obstacles to occur as well.
Your marketing and branding efforts will be much more fruitful when a strong, powerful name is given to your business.
Professional Tips and Advice for Naming Your Business
Never choose a name that limits your business’ growth.
Later on, when and if you are looking to expand your business, you want to have a name that doesn’t put restrictions on your desired advancements. This means you shouldn’t use city or product names in your title.
Don’t choose a name that is confusing or hard to spell. You want your clients to remember your name when they go online to find your business. Keep your name basic and simple.
Do some online research.
Once you have chosen a few potential names for your brand or business, go online and search for that exact name. You can still use the name you desire for your business if someone else already uses that name but it may not have the same effect and could confuse clients.
Use a .com. Other options such as .net, .org, .biz, or other possible domain extensions aren’t perceived as powerfully.
Usually, more established companies use .com. You can check the availability of a .com on sites like Go Daddy. Think of purchasing your URL as a business investment.
Choose a name that holds meaning. Your business name should give a clue as to what your services are all about. It will take a lot more time and effort to brand your business if the name doesn’t hold any special meaning.
Make it simple, positive and clear.
Trademark your name. If this is a business that you’ll later want to sell ou will need to make sure you can trademark your business name. Do keep in mind that it will be up to you defend that trademark.
Arrange your business as a corporation or LLC. Search for your name in the Secretary of State’s records. You won’t be able to register your name if it is too similar to another registered name.
Don’t choose a boring name. Your business name should be memorable and catchy. This will help your business name to resonate with your clients and associates.
Make sure your name sounds good when it is spoken. A name may look good written down on paper but does it sound good spoken aloud?
Receive feedback regarding the name you chose. Try to run a few potential business names past your family, friends, and colleagues. Their insight may help out tremendously.
Take advantage of your resources. There are sites that will help you to come up with business names based on the details that you provide.
You should appreciate the name. It is imperative that you like the name of your business. After all, you’ll be stuck with it for a long time. Get your name down perfectly so that you don’t face any complications in the future.
Last but not least, consider using your own name. As you grow and evolve so will your business and that's ok. You can build a powerful brand around YOU.
A powerful, concise yet catchy brand name may take you a while to come up with but it’s worth it to get it right the first time. Take your time and do some thorough research. Make sure your brand name is one of a kind and easy to remember.
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