How to Come Up With a Great Business Name

The right business name can be a launching pad to success.

When you start a business, one of the most important considerations is the name. Pick the wrong name and your business could suffer. Pick the perfect name and your business could be up and running as soon as you hang a shingle. There is no scientific method to choosing a good name, but there are some tips to keep in mind as you brainstorm.

Instructions

1. Decide what you want to communicate. Give some serious thought to your business' purpose: not just what you do, but who you are and what you want your company to be. While a name may not be able to convey everything that your business is about, thinking long and hard about your business, what it does, and where you want it to go can provide you with a solid road map for choosing a name.

2. Decide how specific you want your name to be. If your area of business is very specific, you might decide that you want your business name to incorporate that niche area. However, if there is any chance that your business will expand or grow beyond the specific niche it serves right now, think about a name that's broad enough to encompass what your business is now and what it might be in the future.

3. Define business qualities that are important to you. As you examine what your business is, think about the qualities that you want associated with your business. That is, if you're opening an auto body shop, what qualities are important to you? Is it important to you that your business is trustworthy, affordable, or that it provides quality service? One name might not be able to convey all of these things, but working to incorporate at least one or two of them might serve you well.

4. Check global and adolescent implications. As you begin brainstorming various names, make sure that the name you choose has no negative meaning or connotation in another language or in another culture. Also, play around with your name in the way a child on the playground might. If you can find no way to make fun of your name, you might have a winner.

5. Consider making up a name. While you can choose something traditional like “John’s Auto Body Shop,” you can also create a name based on any number of factors. For example, you might call your new auto body shop JAB, short for “John’s Auto Body Shop.” There are many other ways you can create a name. Be careful that you do not choose something so obscure that it makes no sense to the customer.

6. Sound it out. Write it down. Say it aloud often. Once you have chosen a name, say it aloud repeatedly. Write it down. Imagine how your name will look on letterhead, on business cards, on marketing materials, and how it will sound coming out of the mouths of customers as they recommend your business.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not get too much help. It is common to ask friends and family members to help you when you are starting a business. You might turn to these people for help in naming your business, but sometimes group mentality can fail.

References

• Entrepreneur