How To Choose a Business Name that Pops

How To Choose a Business Name that Pops

Are you starting a new business and agonising over your name? You’re amongst the countless entrepreneurs who feel pressure and stress about choosing the perfect name for their new start-up. You want your name to reflect who you are, get found easily online, excite and intrigue clients, and instil trust in your abilities – it’s a lot!

We all know it's important to pick a name that is both memorable and representative of what your company does. You also want to ensure that your preferred name is available as a domain name, isn’t already trademarked in your country, and doesn’t have any negative cultural connotations. In short, picking the right business name is essential to the success of your start-up – but it’s not always easy.

Here are some of the most important things to consider when choosing a name for your business.

 

Why It's Important to Pick the Right Business Name

Your name should be both memorable and representative of what your company does. A good business name can help your company stand out from the competition and make it easier for customers to find you online. 

To make sure your it really pops, your  should be easy to remember, pronounce, and spell. It should also be representative of what your company does. For example, if you're starting a pet supply app, it’s crucial to include the word "pets" in your name.

Sure, it can be tempting to choose a combination of words or sounds that sound good to you, like Etsy or Xerox, but you’ll lose that ‘lightbulb’ above your customers’ head as they read “pets” and understand instantly what you do.

It's also important to make sure that the domain name and trademark are available for your chosen business name. You don't want to run into legal trouble down the road, or risk having to register a bizarre website address that no one can remember.

 

What to Consider When Choosing a Business Name

When choosing a business name, you need to consider the following:

• Is the name available as a domain name?
• Does it match my ethos and brand positioning?
• Is the name already trademarked in your country?
• Does the name represent what your company does?
• Is the name memorable and easy to spell?
• Will the name be easy to find online?
• Is the name unique enough to help your company stand out from the competition?

 

Ten Tips to Help you Choose the Right Business Name

 Here are some tips that can help you come up with a brilliant business name.

1. Don’t choose anything too hard to spell

Let’s face it – people make spelling mistakes all the time. If you choose something too hard to spell, or you change up the spelling of a common word, people will constantly misspell it. 

2. Try a name generator

You may not want to rely solely on AI or random chance to choose your business name, but a name generator can be a fun and easy way to play around with a few ideas.

3. Don’t limit your future growth

Adding a city or country name could limit your future growth and prevent you from expanding. The same goes for a highly specific product name – you want to give yourself some room to grow.

4. Think about local customs and culture
   This tip is especially important if you are new to a country or region. Make sure your name doesn’t accidentally have a negative meaning in the local language or reference a taboo topic. 

5. Google extensively
   Leave no stone unturned on the internet before you cement your name – there’s a good chance someone is already using it in your country or a country where you might like to expand in the future. 

6. Grab the .com domain name
   It’s always better to secure the .com domain instead of common alternatives, including .co.uk. Not only will it be easier to find online, but your potential clients will likely associate a .com address with a more established and professional business. At the same time, grab the social media profiles for your proposed name on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

7. Give it some meaning
   As mentioned above, it’s smart to include some specific meanings in your name. Yes, companies like Google and Yahoo had success with random words, but for most of us, a specific and searchable name that describes what we do is the way to go.

8. Search for trademarks
   Don’t get too attached to your preferred name until you have checked whether it is trademarked in the UK.

9. Get feedback from friends and family
   Once you narrow down a list of your favourite choices, create a ‘focus group’ of trusted friends and family and run the names past them. We don’t recommend posting this on social media, as your preferred name may get scooped!

10. Make sure you love it

Finally – if you’re successful, you’ll be with this name for a long time, so make sure it’s one that you really like! If you’re unsure or iffy, keep brainstorming and workshopping until you come up with something you really love.

 

With a bit of thought and research, you can choose a name that will help your business thrive.