When you launch a new business, you will need to think of every aspect of your new brand.
It all starts with a great business name.
Here are 3 tips on how to name your business…
1. Make sure your business name hasn’t already been taken
When picking a name for your business, the first thing you should do is make sure it hasn’t already been taken.
You’ll want to check if your business name has been trademarked by another company. Doing this right away will help you avoid any legal issues or general confusion down the road that would otherwise be completely avoidable.
You will also want to make sure that the website domain that you want is still available. It is best to have a “dot com” for your business, even though other suffixes (“dot ca”, “dot net”, “dot org”, etc.) are also legitimate. The “dot com” URL will always be the one that most people will go to first, especially with regards to a business. More than others, a “dot com” website suffix will make your business look professional and reputable.
Speaking of the Internet, make sure you do a quick Google search to see if anyone else is using your planned business name. If you see several non-completing businesses using your business name, remember that your company is going to get buried in Google searches and confused with other businesses if you choose to name your business similarly.
So, pick a business name that stands out!
2. Pick a business name that sticks
While you want your business name to be unique, you don’t want it to be so far out that no one can remember it.
It’s all fun and games to use whacky and inventive words that might not even show up in a dictionary, but keep in mind that brands that do this — such as Google, Trello, Groupon, Etsy, and Bumble, to name a few — have a lot of branding dollars to back them up so no one forgets them any time soon.
Don’t be too cute when it comes to the spelling, either. There’s a trend to skip a letter (usually a vowel) or replace a letter with another similar sounding one, which seems simple enough, but it can cause confusion. Brands like Flickr and MIssinglettr, despite being well-known, are often misspelled and they risk losing their audience or being mistaken for another business.
So, when it comes to naming your business, keep it simple and easily memorable.
3. Give your business name room for a pivot
If there’s one thing that never changes about owning a business, it’s that everything always changes.
Whether it’s because of a pandemic, industry trends, inflation, a recession, technological advancements, or some phenomenon that is out of your control, your business is bound to evolve.
Maybe it’s even you — maybe YOU change and decide you want to do something else with your business.
And so, you pivot.
Whatever the cause (it doesn’t matter), make sure that the business name you select has enough wiggle room to change with your business. Pizza Hut sells more than just pizzas. Dunkin’ Donuts had to drop the “donuts” when it decided to be known for other foods. If you think there’s a chance you might branch out or niche down, make sure your name will still be relevant, whatever the case may be.
When it comes to naming your business, you want to be careful. First and foremost, make sure your business name hasn’t already been taken. Pick a business name that is easy to remember and sticks in the minds of your audience. Give your business a name that can adapt with you if you ever decide to pivot — because chances are, you will.
