8 Tips For Naming Your Company

Considerations When Naming a Company

Naming a company can be as easy as thinking of the first word(s) that come to mind. But, just because something sounds cool doesn't mean it's a good name for your business.

With that said, some thought should go into naming a company. Remember, this is the name people will use to refer to your company; this is the name that one day could be famous; this is the name that shouldn't be changed and lose its branding.

Naming Your Start-Up

Finding a great name for your start-up business is like choosing a name for your child.

You may be aware that branding is the expensive and long process of mentally linking your business name to a product or service in the mind of people who are watching, reading, or listening to, your advertising.

Branding also includes a tag line or slogan for your business; the name should go hand in hand with that line.

For example, if you hear "Eat fresh," you automatically think of Subway.
"It's finger lickin' good." What do you think of? KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Here are a few tips when it comes to naming a company:

Tip No. 1:

Create a list of names that you like. Come up with at least 10; I suggest at least 25. You'll be eliminating a lot of them in this process.

Tip No. 2:

Choose the names that best describe what your business is offering; cross off the rest.

Tip No. 3:

Make sure the name(s) you're considering have room for business expansion; cross off the rest.

For example, don't name your business Delicious Pies, which limits you to making only pies.

Instead, consider Delicious Baked Treats.

Now, with 'Delicious Baked Treats,' you're still focused but you have room for butter horn nut rolls, caramel corn, date pudding and other baked goods.

Tip No. 4:

Choose the names that are easy to spell; cross off the rest.

Tip No. 5:

Choose the names that are easy to repeat; cross off the rest.

Tip No. 6:

You now have a short list of potential names. Let this process go on for a couple of days. After a couple of days you'll probably see the names on your list differently.

Tip No. 7:

Go over your list with a few people you trust to get feedback on the best names. Choose the best and cross off the rest.

Tip No. 8:

Ensure that the remaining names are available online, i.e., not already taken. Run a search on the name and see what results come up. You may be surprised to find some 'negative' connotations!

For your website (you'll probably need a website even if you're working offline), register a domain name that coincides with the name of your company. Many web hosting companies offer domain name registration along with hosting your site.

Side note: always go for the .com if possible; it's the more popular than .net or .org. However, more extensions have been released such as .co. Still, try to stick with a .com if you can.

Business Name Registration

By now you should have a short list of available domain names. Now it's time to see if those names are available in your state/province. You need to perform a name search.

Sometimes you can do this online, which is a bonus, because you'll need to register the business name and the domain name to ensure you have both. A domain name could be available now and in another 10 minutes, be gone.

That's the Way I See It!
Acey Gaspard