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Are you struggling to think of a suitable name for your business? Here are a few tips to help you name yours.

Coming up with a suitable name plays a major of getting your business launched successfully. Do you want people constantly forgetting the name of your business? You could have a mind-blowing and revolutionary concept, however your business could suffer if the name isn’t memorable or catchy. Here are are few factors to consider when helping you come up with your name:

  •  Use a mind map to come up with names. Start with really wild words as your initial ideas – just jot down the first thing that comes into your head when thinking of what your business has to offer. Don’t think to hard, just write. The more words you have for your initial ideas, the more options you have, and there is more chance that you will have covered all areas. Once depleted your initial ideas, you can further develop each of these using your mind map. The initial ideas you  dislike, stop developing, and continue with ones you do like.

You can use the traditional pen and paper to make a mind map, or a brilliant app to download and use for mind mapping is ‘iMindMap’ on your iPad. And guess what – it’s also free! Click here to download. 

  •  Focus on what you want your brand to represent. May seem to obvious to some and not others. Ensure all the initial names you think of have some sort of connection to your business’s main idea of what you want it to represent.
  •  Put yourself in your target markets’ shoes. Would they immediately relate your business name to your product/service?
  •  The consequences if you use your own name for your business’s name: When (‘if’ isn’t in my vocabulary), your business becomes larger, you may decide to merge with another company. Having your business named after yourself will make things more complex and may deter the merger. Also having your own name as your business’s name isn’t very descriptive to your target market.
  •  Inject your personality into the naming process. Put your own personal stamp on the business name. e.g. if you are young and your target market is for the younger market – make it quirky.  If there are 2 or more shareholders, make sure you all contribute, otherwise those that don’t participate may feel less included -thus less motivated to make the business a success.
  • Keep it snappy, simple and easy to read. Snappy and simple names tend to be easier to remember. Also ask friends and family members to read it out loud to find out whether it’s easy to read. You don’t want people saying your business name incorrectly.
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  • Has your chosen name already been incorporated with Companies House or trademarked with UK Intellectual Property? If you were thinking about incorporating or/and trademarking the name, check that your business name hasn’t already been done my somebody else. This can be done via: www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/cntc
  • Ensure that aren’t businesses in the same sector with a similar name. Do a search engine search of the particular name you have in mind to do a quick check. Flick through the pages until you feel assured that its a unique name in the sector.
  • Does the name sound fluid and easy to say out load? Repeatedly say your chosen name out loud to find out whether it sounds good out load. It needs to be easy on the tongue i.e. usually this means – avoid excessive constants or vowels together. Get friends/family members to say it out loud.
  • Is it easy to spell? Ask friends and family members to spell it for you to ensure that it’s easy to spell. This will prevent your target market entering the incorrect name into search engines and the url bar.
  • Have you tried mnemonics? Come up with names that relate to a certain object to make your name more memorable. e.g. Let’s take ‘tweeting’ on Twitter. Whenever you see a bird making sound (i.e. tweeting) not long later you subconsciously think of Twitter. Make your business name trigger an image or sound similar to this example given.
  • Stay away from abbreviations. IBM and other multinational companies have the capital to educate us on what their abbreviated name stands for. But as a startup, unfortunately it is highly unlikely you will – so stay away from these.
  • Are you stuck between a few names? If so, right out a pro’s & con’s list for each. i.e. which sounds better, how many companies are there with names sounding alike, which one is more simple and snappy etc

2 TOP TIPs

1) Don’t rush into it. Once you have chosen a particular name for your business, ensure you have a good nights sleep on the name before you buy any domain names, incorporate it etc. When you wake up the next morning you may have changed your mind, if so go back to the drawing board. However you may you wake up with your heart and mind still set on that particular name – that’s when you know that it’s the one!

2) The more market research the better. The more market research you carry out, the greater the chance your business’s name will have the ‘perfect’ name. Ask friends, family and the public. Don’t feel as you have to expose or share your business idea if you don’t feel comfortable to do so.

 

The iPhone app called ‘Thumb‘ allows you to post a question to the a number of random people worldwide – allowing you to obtain their opinion on whether your chosen name sounds good! To add to your excitement – its FREE! I know right, brilliant stuff! Click here to download this app. 

 

The Last Resort…If you are still struggling after depleting all these tips, then you could always go to a design agency to help you to come up with your name.

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