Choosing a business name is an important step in the business planning process
Stay away from cute puns that only you understand. Don't use the word “Inc.” after your name unless your company is actually incorporated. make sure you are not making any mistake while naming your business, to help you out here is a useful article you should read "10 Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Your Business"
Also read: 7 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business
If you were starting a wedding florist service and you were really girly and feminine you might call your brand 'Fabulous Flowers for Brides'. If you were sort of down-to-earth and you wanted to attract similar clientele with a tongue-in-cheek name you might name your biz 'Thistle Do Nicely' (I'm here all week, folks.
Also read: Are You Making These Annoying Branding Mistakes?
Also read: 10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Business Name
If you've read my four rules to live by on social media, you'll know that I'm strongly against having different usernames for different social media channels. You want it to be as easy as possible for your readers to find you. Therefore, it’s really important to make sure you have the same username across all your social platforms - be it Pinterest, Vine, Tumblr, or YouTube. You don’t want your readers to have to make a massive effort or go to extreme lengths to find out your Twitter handle if it’s different from your Instagram.
Top tip: If your biz name isn't available on social media, my simple solution is to add ‘hello’ before your brand. For example, if @Nike was taken across all platforms, Nike could use @HelloNike. Personally, I think this makes the username feel quite welcoming and friendly!
Must read: How to find right business name for your startup
Also read: Branding Guidelines Your Small Business Should Live By
You may have come up with a creative name for your biz that incorporates all of the above rules but if you can't easily tell people about it without spelling it out loud then you've gotta get back to the drawing board.
Also read: 7 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business
Show your personality
What's a business name if it doesn't reflect the person behind the business? I mean, it's alright for me - my biz is my name. But if you don't want to use your name for your new business (which is understandable), try injecting some of your personality into the naming process. Let me explain what I mean.If you were starting a wedding florist service and you were really girly and feminine you might call your brand 'Fabulous Flowers for Brides'. If you were sort of down-to-earth and you wanted to attract similar clientele with a tongue-in-cheek name you might name your biz 'Thistle Do Nicely' (I'm here all week, folks.
Also read: Are You Making These Annoying Branding Mistakes?
Aim for the start of the alphabet
I don't exact excel here but I learnt this tip from Guy Kawasaki's book; The Art Of The Start. Kawasaki makes a very good point that your business will probably end up in directories or at least lists of other businesses. How will they most likely be sorted? You guessed it! Alphabetically. Try to be at the top of the list and aim to have a brand name that starts with an early letter of the alphabet. This isn't necessary at all, but it's something that doesn't hurt to consider.Also read: 10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Business Name
Check the availability on social media
You know what sucks? When you come up with the perfect name and it's already taken on social media channels - and adding a number at the end of your profile doesn't look great, does it?If you've read my four rules to live by on social media, you'll know that I'm strongly against having different usernames for different social media channels. You want it to be as easy as possible for your readers to find you. Therefore, it’s really important to make sure you have the same username across all your social platforms - be it Pinterest, Vine, Tumblr, or YouTube. You don’t want your readers to have to make a massive effort or go to extreme lengths to find out your Twitter handle if it’s different from your Instagram.
Top tip: If your biz name isn't available on social media, my simple solution is to add ‘hello’ before your brand. For example, if @Nike was taken across all platforms, Nike could use @HelloNike. Personally, I think this makes the username feel quite welcoming and friendly!
Must read: How to find right business name for your startup
Run it through Google Translate
If you've come up with a name that isn't a traditional English word, you may have stumbled into a translation trap. Check that your name is suitable in other languages; you don't want to accidentally introduce yourself as the CEO of *insert rude word here* in Arabic.Say it out loud
This is by far the most important rule of all, and something so many people forget to do. Imagine telling someone over the phone what the name of your business is. Is it something they can spell without help? Is it something that has a strange symbol or number in?Also read: Branding Guidelines Your Small Business Should Live By
You may have come up with a creative name for your biz that incorporates all of the above rules but if you can't easily tell people about it without spelling it out loud then you've gotta get back to the drawing board.
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