If you want to build a strong brand, a business name that captures your brand essence is the foundation for everything else. These associations and responses can be positive (when a person likes the name or brand) or negative (when someone doesn’t like the name or brand). When a person hears or sees a brand name, their brain creates a mental association and reaction. It’s a core part of your company’s brand strategy.Ī strong business name can help differentiate your business from competitors, identify what you’re offering, inspire your team and others, and boost brand recall. Your company name (a “brand name”) is the mental trigger that helps customers and prospects think about your business. Some new business owners feel paralyzed by this challenge and can’t even begin to write a business plan until they settle on a business name. When you start a new business, finding a name for your company can be challenging and time-consuming. Read all of Richard Harroch's articles on your business idea succeed? Take our quiz - completely confidential and free! Take the time to get it right from the start.Ĭopyright © by Richard D. You as the business owner will have to live with the name for a long time, so make sure you are happy with it and believe it will resonate with your customers. Make sure you are personally happy with the name. There are even name branding experts such as Alexandra Watkins at Eat My Words. (allows you to generate names based on a theme).(provides a startup company name generator).Shopify Business Name Generator (generates business name ideas and checks domain availability simultaneously).(gives you a visual around a keyword).There are a number of sites that can help you brainstorm names, including: Use resources available for brainstorming names. And if it’s said aloud, make sure people aren’t confused as to how it’s spelled. ![]() Sometimes names seem fine on paper, but sound awful when said aloud. Make sure the name sounds good when said aloud. And make sure that the name doesn’t have any negative connotations (such as when GM named its new car model the “Nova” without realizing that the name meant “doesn’t go” in Spanish). Get feedback from your target audience as well. ![]() Get feedback on the name.Ĭome up with 5 or 10 names and then run them by friends, family members, and trusted colleagues. Obviously, you don’t want a boring name for your business, but you also don’t want to choose something that’s too “out there.” You want your employees to be able to say where they work without hesitation, and you want your name to resonate with your target audience. (See “ 10 Big Legal Mistakes Made by Startups.”) 8. ![]() Your corporate lawyer can help you conduct this kind of search. If it is too similar to an existing name, the Secretary of State may not allow you to register it. Since you will likely want to structure your business as a corporation or LLC, you should do a search of the Secretary of State’s records to make sure your name won’t be confusingly similar to a business name that’s already registered. Conduct a trademark search.ĭo a search at to get an idea as to whether you can get a trademark or service mark for the name. Some examples of clear, simple, and intriguing domain names include, ,, and . A domain name like “” is genius as it conveys the meaning of the business and is helpful for search engine optimization purposes. Subscribe Now: Forbes Entrepreneurs & Small Business NewslettersĪll the trials and triumphs of building a business – delivered to your inbox.
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