Finding the right name for your startup company can have a significant impact on your success. The wrong name can do worse than fail to connect with customers; it can also result in insurmountable business and legal hurdles. In contrast, a clear, powerful name can be extremely helpful in your marketing and branding efforts.
Here are some helpful suggestions on how to come up with a winning name for your business:
Avoid hard-to-spell names
You don’t want potential customers getting confused about how to find your business online. You want to avoid having to continually correct the misspelled version of your name. Keep it simple.
Conduct a thorough internet search
Once you have determined a name you like, do a web search on it. More often than not, you will find that someone else is already using that business name. While that won’t be a total showstopper, it should give you pause.
Get the .com domain name
My strong preference is that you secure the “.com” domain name for your business rather than alternatives such as .net, .org, .biz, or other possible domain extensions. Customers tend to associate a .com name with a more established business. Undoubtedly, someone will already own your desired .com name, but many domain owners are willing to sell their name for the right price.
Think of acquiring the .com name you want as a business investment. You can check on the availability of a domain name on sites such as GoDaddy.com or NetworkSolutions.com.
Also make sure to grab your desired business name on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Use a name that conveys some meaning
Ideally, you want the business name to convey something meaningful and positive related to your business. Can people instantly get what your business is about? While meaningless names like “Google,” “Yahoo,” or “Zappos” have some appeal due to their catchiness, these kinds of names will cost you a lot more to brand.
Some examples of clear, simple, and intriguing domain names include Canny.com, Recuperate.com, Afire.com, and Administer.com. A domain name like Trounce.com would be perfect for a gaming company.
Conduct a trademark search
Do a search at USPTO.gov to get an idea as to whether you can get a trademark or service mark for the name.
Conduct a Secretary of State search
Since you will likely want to structure your business as a corporation or LLC, you should do a search of the Secretary of State’s records to make sure your name won’t be confusingly similar to a business name that’s already registered. If it is too similar to an existing name, the Secretary of State may not allow you to register it. Your corporate lawyer can help you conduct this kind of search.
Assess if the name is catchy
Obviously, you don’t want a boring name for your business, but you also don’t want to choose something that’s too “out there.” You want your employees to be able to say where they work without hesitation, and you want your name to resonate with your target audience.
Get feedback on the name
Come up with five or ten potential names and then run them by friends, family members, and trusted colleagues. Get feedback from your target audience as well. And make sure that the name doesn’t have any negative connotations (such as when GM named its new car model the “Nova” without realizing that the name meant “doesn’t go” in Spanish).
Make sure the name sounds good when said aloud
Sometimes names seem fine on paper, but sound awful when said aloud. And if it’s said aloud, make sure people aren’t confused as to how it’s spelled.
Conclusion
You as the business owner will have to live with the name for a long time, so make sure you are happy with it and believe it will resonate with customers. Take the time to get it right from the start.
