How to choose a small business name
Choosing a great name for your small business doesn’t have to mean years of work and a few sleepless nights, but there are several things to consider.
- How will the name follow your brand?
- How will you distinguish your name from competitors?
- How will your name describe the product or service that you’re offering? This doesn’t have to necessarily be right in the company name – it could always be used as a tagline or catchy phrase.
Think of some distinguishing names that would work for your business and write them down. Don’t second-guess yourself – let your creativity fly!
Now, take some time away from your list of potential names and focus on something else for a while. When you return all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, take another look at your ideas and start the elimination process.
Is there a way that your ideas can fit together to provide one name? Use synonyms or words starting with the same letters to find something catchy. If catchy doesn’t work, why not pick out some of your favourite letters and start trying to make up some words?
Finally, before going any further, take the top possibilities and do some searching online. Whether it’s through NUANS name searches, trademark searches or just a simple Google search, check out whether or not the name, or anything similar, is in use. Don’t forget to check domain names too if this is something important to your company.
Want more tips? Check out our related post, Choosing a great small business name.
Good luck!
Naming your business can be a stressful process. You want to choose a name that will last and, if possible, will embody both your values and your company’s distinguishing characteristics. But screening long lists of names with a focus group composed of friends and family can return mixed results.
Very true! We recommend narrowing the list down to a handful of the strongest options before seeking the opinions of others.