Naming A Business

Naming a business is something most entrepreneurs overlook. Know that the most important marketing element is your business name. Make sure your name illustrates the essence and uniqueness of your company. Then run it through a trademark check to see if you can use the name. You don't want to build your brand, and find out five years down the road that you're infringing on someone's business name. Get an Objective Opinion Usually, it's a good idea when naming a business to run it across somebody who can provide you with an objective opinion. They will be less biased, and can give you some quality input. The following are some other pointers. Action step: Ask a friend about your proposed business name. Done? Ask 10 others. For a Brick-and-Mortar Business Create a generic name, and customers will think you're a generic company. Create something unique name that goes against industry norm, and you'll stand out from the crowd. Be careful when coining names though, because it may have negative connotations in different languages. If you're using a coined name, make sure you run it by your associates first before you file your business name. For an Online Business Like brick-and-mortar businesses, you want to stick with names that are easily brandable. It used to be that search engines would heavily rely their rankings on the domain's words. This is not the case anymore. Now, engines will be more focused on the theme and the keywords contained within your pages, than on your domain name. Some More Naming Tips Choose a name that appeals to your and your customers. Pick names that have positive associations if possible. Avoid corporate names (e.g. Davis Lewis Enterprises). Choose a name that a four-year old can pronounce. Don't try to be witty (e.g. Jooce Station). Pick a name that stands out from your competitors. Say it loud. Is it easy? Most importantly, make sure your name is legal. You can check it at http://uspto.gov, under the trademark search. Remember, naming a business will be the most important marketing job you do, so spend quality time on it.

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