Launching a business can be super stressful for anyone. One of the things I see many people struggle with is their company name, rightfully so. Someone is going to connect with your name, share your name with others, use your name etc… You want the right one, to spark the right emotion. Today, I’m going to show you how to choose the right name for your business like a boss.
Personal Reasons
Everyone has something they love and want their business to be called. When I first started I wanted my business name to be “Seven and Noah”. Listen, I didn’t know how I was going to convey to my resale shoppers the personal story attached to my boutique. If desired, it’s a great idea to use your initials or name for your business. For example, T+J Designs. What’s also great about their company name is that it doesn’t limit their business. When they launched, it was just a jewelry company. Now, they sell a wide variety of items for women.
Originality
Tying back to the first point, make sure your company name is original. How many “Kloset Envy”, “Closet Envy”, “Closet Envi”, “Kloset Envi” do we really need in the world? All four of those companies are losing out on money because there is a high chance consumers are going to the wrong website. Think of words and names that work well together, but that aren’t already being used. I mean, I have seen several Bloom Flowers or Floral Arrangements. They make it worse when you need to hashtag your business own social media.
Trademark Search
This is the most pertinent of the four things I will share with you today. If you love the name and you think no one else has it, go do a Trademark search. Before you invest in a domain, website, and business cards make sure you have the rights to use the name. Honestly, I waited down the line to purchase my trademarks for my company names. There’s nothing worse than thinking you can have “Hey Gorge” for the name of your makeup line, for it only to be taken.
Domain Search
If the name you have picked is trademark free, in the category you need, then you need to make sure the domain is available. Invest the $15 or less to purchase the .com domain name to be attached to your business name. Listen, no one thinks to add .net, .guru, or .law to the end of their domain name. Common knowledge is .com. Honestly, the work you would need to do to train your current and future customers to use another domain end is more work. Acquire the .com domain, make your business life easier.
I love all my company names: Imperfect Concepts, ICB Consults, and KSYE. There is another one I have not announced yet because we are working on the trademarks.
Be smart. Use these four steps to decide your company’s name. Your name is something you will have for ever. It’s very rare for a company to change their name. They might change the logo, color scheme, or website, but rebranding a company’s name change is more work than it’s worth dealing with.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
