When choosing a name for your business, start by deciding what your business is—knowing what makes your business unique will help you choose a name that reflects your style.
Remember when choosing a name use real words over fabricated words so people can understand and relate.
Think about the qualities you want your business to identify with. For instance, when I was starting my decorative painting business I wanted it to convey, art, and fun, and create beautiful wall finishes. If you’re at a total loss and need some help, look in magazines and books or go online and see what other names companies have selected in your industry. Make a list of names that you like.
Mistake #1: Mix and Match Method
Coming up with a catchy name isn’t easy. Many new entrepreneurs think that taking part of one name and combining it with another to create a new word sounds cool and different but in retrospect, it can be damaging. It’s kind of like mixing oil and water– there’s nothing wrong with either ingredient, but they just don’t go together. The problem with this is people have a hard time remembering the name and more importantly how to spell it. In this case, the owners took the first half of both their names to name their business. The problem with this is, if one or the other decides to leave the business the name can’t be changed. So be careful when you decide on a name.
Mistake #2: Be different and Unique
With hundreds and thousands of names flooding the internet, it’s more important than ever to create your own uniqueness and differentiate yourself. Make it memorable so your customers will remember you. I can’t tell you how many times a client has told me that they selected my company when searching the internet because they liked my name “Artzy Fartzy Creations’. Artzy Fartzy is a Cliché people use when referring to art and something that stuck in my mind since I was a kid. I added Creations because I was creating art.
Mistake #3: Using a map to name your company
Many businesses choose to use their city or state as part of their company name. This is great if you have decided to stay a small local business but it often becomes a limitation as a company grows. I have a good friend who started a business ten years ago called “South Florida Dines” It was a great name and she did exceptionally well but as the business grew she saw an amazing opportunity to expand her business model outside of her local market. She changed the name to “Local Dines” so the name would be a good fit in other markets. Local Dines works in any local market but South Florida Dines limited her to one market.
Mistake #4: Avoid hard to spell names
I know it’s difficult to find the domain name you are looking for. Inevitably; someone already has it. Godaddy will always give you alternative ways to spell it and I know it’s tempting to buy the one that is spelled slightly differently especially after you spent hours searching for that perfect name. But be careful you don’t want to make it difficult to find you on a Google search. Another example is my company name. As you can see in mistake #2 Artzy Fartzy Creations was spelled with a “Z” instead of an “S”. Most people spell it with an “S”.I bought this name 18 years ago before I knew better. That’s why you will always hear me spell my company name in my videos and Facebook Lives so people know where to find me. You don’t want customers confused about how to find you on the internet. Try to avoid this if possible.
Mistake #5 It’s Already Taken
Make sure the domain name is available. Also, make sure it’s not being used on Facebook. The last thing you want to do is start using a name that is already being used. The best way to avoid that would be to go to Godaddy and make sure the domain name is available. If someone is already using that name you will not be able to build a website using that name. So many people make this mistake. They will get an occupational license in their town or county, print all their marketing materials, and then decide to build a website only to find out they can’t buy the domain name. Therefore, it’s so important to First Things First.
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Cheryl Phan
