What to Consider When Naming a Company
How To Name Your Company - Naming a company can be as easy as the first thing that comes to mind. You are pretty well able to choose whatever name is available.
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.
Naming Your Start-up
It’s time to find a suitable name for your start-up company. It’s like choosing a name for your child, or is it? I believe you should give it the same importance as choosing a name for your child.
You may have seen, heard or received a letter in the mail from companies that announce they are changing their name. The first thing that comes to mind is: why?
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.
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.
If Subway changed their name to “Foot Long Subs,” what would happen to Eat Fresh…? Well, it’s still linked to Subway in our mind and will remain so for a long time.
Can you see my point? I’m against changing the name of your company. Of course there are exceptions, e.g., a bad name to begin with, a buyout, merger, etc., but whenever possible don’t change the name.
Here are a few tips when it comes to naming a company:
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.
Naming a company Tip No 2:
Choose the names that best describe what your business is offering; cross off the rest.
Naming a company Tip No 3:
 Make sure the remaining names have room for business expansion; cross off the rest.
For example, don’t name your business Delicious Pies.
...Then you’re stuck with only pies.
Instead, consider Delicious Baked Treats.
Now you’re still focused but you have room for butter horn nut rolls, caramel corn, date pudding and other baked goods. There must be room for expansion.
Naming a company Tip No 4:
Choose the names that are easy to spell; cross off the rest.
Naming a company Tip No 5:
Choose the names that are easy to repeat; cross off the rest.
Naming a company Tip No 6:
You now have a short list of potential names. Let this process go for a couple of days. Forget about it, so that the names sink in mentally. After a couple of days you’ll probably see the names on your list differently.
Naming a company 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.
Naming a company Tip No 8:
 Ensure that the remaining names are available online, i.e., not already taken.
For your website (you’ll probably need a website even if you’re working offline), register a domain for them at: http://www.godaddy.com/
While you’re checking for a name, godaddy also gives you suggestions.
You may find a great domain name and name your company using the domain suggestion. Side note: always go for the .com if possible; it’s the more popular than .net or .org.
Name Registartion
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
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