Looking For The Perfect Business Name? Here Are 6 Crucial Things You Can’t Miss To Have a Remarkable Name That Sticks
brand direction & styling by us for Blooming Wed | photo by Michele Lee Photo
Naming your business, or anything, can feel daunting. Think of the time when you were asked to come up with the name of your team when you were a kid or the time when you were naming your first pet. Wasn’t so easy, was it?
Many entrepreneurs spend a lot of time specifically on naming and researching for their new businesses or on renaming their existing businesses. Naming is an exciting task because it comes with the notion of a brand new start. But it also may feel like a burden after a while, as if the name you choose would either set your business up for success or failure.
If you are in the midst of naming or renaming your new or existing business, let’s take out the guessing game so you can optimize your energy and time, and move on to other important things in your business.
Here are the 6 things you need to know for naming your brand -
#1 Descriptive or Ambiguous
When you include the type of business you are in your business name, people can understand what you do clearly. These are names like Global Law Firm, [Founder’s Name] Photography, or XYZ Bakery, in which the industry or the type of business is included in the name.
If you choose to have an ambiguous name, the downside is that people don’t know what you do immediately. However, you leave room to grow and evolve outside of your current line of business. You may be a photographer who is now a mentor and speaker to other creative business, or you may be a baker who is expanding your menu and services to delivering homemade meals. In these cases, you can continue to grow your business with the same name when it is not as descriptive.
Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Decide whether you want to tell people exactly what you do in your name or purposely keep it vague.
#2 Association
How does your name make people feel? Do people have any particular association with the name? If you are an edgy design brand, your name shouldn’t make people think of a traditional giant manufacturing business. And if you are a restaurant, people shouldn’t associate you with a hardware store.
Your name should make people feel how you want people to experience your brand, and association that is too specific and too far off causes confusion. Ask your close network and get their feedback, specifically on if there is any negative connotation or connection that is too far off from what you do.
#3 Rolling Off the Tongue
Is it easy to pronounce? If the name is long (especially if you are using a person’s name), can you have a version where it is abbreviated? Make sure it rolls off the tongue, which also helps people remember it easily.
#4 You Like It
You have to like it. Your goal is that your business is here to stay, right? You will work on it a lot so the name has to bring your joy! Sit on it for a few days, and make sure you feel good about it.
#5 Research
Check if the domain name and social media handle of the name you come up with is already used by someone else. And if it is, see if you can create variations of the name to make it work.
Google the name you have in mind, and see if there is another business that is actively using the same or similar name. If there is someone else promoting their business under similar names, sometimes it can be confusing for people to find you or distinguish between you and the other business.
#6 Don’t Over Think It
Set a timeline to finalize your business name, and daw a line in the sand. At the end of the day, your business name is just a name. It’s everything else you do in your business and how you fulfill your promises for your audience and customers that defines your success and gives weight to the brand name. Once you feel good about the amount of research you’ve done, don’t overthink it. Take your favorite name and run your business with it!
Wondering if you should build a personal or a business brand? Click here to read all about it.
If you find yourself doing all the things and want to prioritize effectively, read this post on “How to Leave Busy Work and Focus on What Matters.”
Want to know how to stand out? Click here to read “How to Create Your Strong Brand Positioning in the Market.”
Not sure if your brand is working? Click here and learn “The 6 Ways to Find Out If Your Brand Is Actually Working.”
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