You have probably heard that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. And while it may be true, we are pretty sure you don’t want your company to be a rose. While sweet-smelling flowers are nice, they get stepped on, left out in the rain, and eventually, they die.
Instead of choosing a name like a flower, why not choose a name that is more like a rock? A good business name that will last, it is memorable, adaptable, and unique. It is the difference between being another nameless tulip and the Great Wall of China.
There Are Two Great Reasons to Choose a Good Business Name:
- It is how people will find you online. If your name sounds too much like “Geico” or “Kroger,” they may accidentally type you into their search bar looking for those companies instead of yours. And if a customer can’t find you easily, they are more likely to go with another option even if yours is better.
- You will be using it for the foreseeable future, so it should sound good to you and your employees. You will be using this name every day, so make sure it sounds good to you and your employees. Your business is part of who you are; let its name reflect that.
Luckily for you, we have some tips for coming up with a name that is both unique and available.
How To Choose A Good Business Name
1. Do Your Research
In choosing your business name, it is important that you see to it that you find a name that is not only memorable but also fits the brand and the industry.
For instance, if you are in a different field of business, let’s say manufacturing or retailing, names like “Dollar Store,” “Kmart,” or “Sears” are common and are easily remembered. These names make perfect sense because they are the main company brands associated with those types of industries.
When choosing your business name, try to find one that is not very well known already so as not to overlap with another existing business. You should also look at what other companies in your industry are naming their companies properly since this could help you when making your decision on your own business name.
It is also important to take care when choosing a title for your business by making sure it has some meaning behind it as well as using descriptive language so people will know exactly what kind of services or products they can expect from you.
If there is no meaning behind the name, people may not have any idea what it means and will end up calling it something else which might be even worse than just having no meaning at all.
2. Check To See If The Business Name Is Available
Once you have some ideas, check to see if the name is available. You will want to make sure the name isn’t already in use by another business. Even if it is not an exact match, a closely similar name could be confusing to customers or even too close for legal comfort.
Check your local trademark laws and regulations and then search your state and federal trademark databases as well as any international databases that apply. You can also search domain names and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
3. Make A List Of Potential Names
- Make a list of potential names. This doesn’t have to be extensive research. Just list the names you think up at the moment, and don’t overthink it.
- List as many names as possible. Don’t worry about whether or not they are good at this point, just write them down. Pick your first name, then put down 10 other options for every name you come up with. If you can’t think of any other names after that, go through what you have written and change the spelling slightly or add in some prefixes and suffixes, such as “The _____” or “_____ & Co.”
4. Do A Trademark Search
If you are planning on selling a product or service, be sure to trademark your name. There is nothing worse than finding the perfect business name only to discover that someone else is already using it or registered it as a domain. If you are not selling a product or service, it might not be necessary.
However, even then, it is a good idea to do a trademark search just in case someone else has already thought of your idea and has accidentally beat you to the punch.
5. Use The Name For A Long Time Before You Make It Official
It is important that you are sure that you are happy with your company name before you invest a lot of time and money into branding and marketing. To make sure the name is a good one, try using it for a few years privately.
For example, if you have an LLC or other business structure with your state (after filing Articles of Organization), the state will not require that the business be registered or “doing business as” under the legal entity name until after a certain period of time has passed (usually three to four years).
You can use this time to test out different names for your business without worrying about having to rebrand your company when you decide on one.
6. Ask Friends And Family What They Like
While this article covers some hard-and-fast rules around naming your business, you should always get feedback from people you trust.
It is important that you test your name with friends and family to make sure the name resonates with people outside of yourself. And remember, you didn’t open your company to please them. You opened it for yourself, so don’t be afraid if they don’t like the name.
Also, be careful about asking for input on different names. Most people will have their own ideas of what the perfect name is but it doesn’t matter what they think is best for your business; it only matters what works for you and best represents your brand identity. The last thing you want is someone else making a decision that will affect the future of your company.
If possible, try to gather opinions from members of your target audience as well as those in other industries who can offer an outside perspective.
7. Spend Time Figuring Out a Good Business Name
Choosing a business name whether it is for a company, blog or product can be an overwhelming task. There are so many things to consider and you want to make sure your choice will withstand the test of time. That said, don’t worry too much about finding the perfect name right off the bat.
When I first decided to create my own personal brand, I spent hours researching potential names that would encompass everything I wanted to do with my business. In fact, I was such a perfectionist that it took me over 5 days before I finally settled on a name.
After going through this article and you are still finding it hard to choose the perfect business name for your business, you can hire an expert in business naming.
Read How To Start An LLC In Missouri In 10 Minutes
Last updated 1/3/2023
