It can be hard to believe that your business name could be unique, yet every day, millions of people register a small business and start their business journey.
We know that starting a small business can be tricky to do – a small fish in a big industry, but a small business has a lot of benefits – even if they do take a lot of work.
But to get to the point of registering your business isn’t an easy road for everyone. Your business name is one of the most important decisions you will make; for a while, you will be using it for everything.
You might already have an idea, a product prototype, a website that is barebones and ready, and maybe you even have some materials ready to start making more products.
So how do you name your business, and why is it even necessary?
Why is your business name important?
You might think that a name isn’t too important – as it can be changed at a later date, though. However, if you are already considering changing it, hold off on registering until you have hashed out some of your other options.
So why does it matter?
First impressions
You already know that first impressions count, and in the case of your business, the name will be the first thing they see. If the name doesn’t indicate what your company does, they might not be inclined to look further. Your business name is one of the first things that your potential customers will see. It is how they will come to know you.
Your branding, email, website, and everything your customer sees will have the name on it.
Cool names tend to grab the imagination quickly and sometimes might cause people to research your business more.
One word only
Most often, brands have one word, maybe two, as the brand name – followed by a short tagline. In one or two words, the brand name itself needs to tell people everything about your business.
The brand name will usually have the branding for the business and the color palette you are using, which can begin to tell people things they should know about your business. The image below is a great example of how the brand name will be branded, and each item is recognizable – or gives you an indication of what the company does.
Photo by Slidebean on Unsplash
It’s unique
No matter which niche you enter, you will get a lot of competition – unless you have created a completely new and innovative product, you’ll need to stand out. Your name is going to be one of the things that are unique to you.
How do you name your business?
One of the things that you will come up against when you are setting up your business is what you will be called. Sometimes people come up with a name and then need to think up the business; other times, it is the other way around.
So if you’re lacking on the name, here are five steps to get your business name sorted in no time.
- Have some brainstorming sessions on names – start with words, and see where you go
- Narrow down the list to less than five names, and start playing with the name as a website, on headed paper, and so on.
- Double-check all of the name options again for other registered businesses, websites, and more
- Register your business
Brainstorming your business name
Thinking up things to do with your business is a lot of fun, but if you are finding it difficult to be decisive, it can take some time. If you have friends and family that can help you, it can be a good idea to do some of the activities with them.
Words
Start writing lots of words on a board; try to choose words that fit in with the type of business you will be launching. Putting them somewhere you can see them can be helpful to see how you feel about them. Some words will fall flat, and you can wipe them away. Word dumps can help you get closer to a word that makes sense for your business.
Name generator
If you’re having a little trouble, then name and word generators can help you find two words that work together. You can often choose the theme of the generator and input a few details to help you. Some of the business name generators also offer a service that automatically checks if it is available on social media platforms.
Best names
Think about some of the best business names that you know of – what makes them interesting to you? Are they short? How easy are they to put on materials for marketing and websites? The best business names around can help you to find words that make a link between what you want your business to do – and words that match.
It is important that the name of the business makes sense for what you do.
Easy
It might be tempting to find a name that is complicated, a pun, or something that is smart – but that can make it difficult to remember and, more importantly, type into a search engine.
Try to keep it simple to say, spell and read. Although a smart business name has a lot to be said, keeping it simple makes it easier for people to remember and search for.
Fonts and colors
Play around with the few business names you have on your shortlist in different fonts, colors, and in different logo styles. Canva is a great way to do this for free; alternatively, Google Docs is just as easy.
By doing this, you’ll find that some words work with your idea of branding, and others don’t. Changing these things around can bring a front running to being vetoed – and others becoming a top choice.
The name, while important, is just the tip of the iceberg; here are some other things you need to consider: The Essential Costs Of Starting Your Business – B2B News Network.
