Tips for naming a business

Every so often, someone asks for me for help naming their business. One
woman I spoke to recently had been trying to come up with a name for months.
Within two minutes, she and I came up with what she thought was the perfect
name for her business.

If you are having trouble thinking of the best name for your business,

Here are the steps we went through to come up with a name.

First, list the type of products that you sell, and the benefits that
customers get from buying them.

Next think about what names could fit in with these products or benefits. Your name can tell others who you are, what you sell, how you sell it, what makes you better than others, and make people want to find out more about you.

Here are some names that usually won't bring a lot of extra success.
Mary's Boutique
CW Enterprises

If you want to cheat, you can look at phone books for similar businesses in other cities. Although copying someone else's name really is cheating, and could end up making you lose a lot of what you have worked for, looking at other business names can help you get new and better ideas faster.

Next, write down a list of as many names or partial names as you can come up with. Having someone creative help you with this can be a lot of fun.

Finally, go through your list and remove any names that do not work; and either pick or adapt something from one of these last remaining names to use for your company name.

You will probably want to wait at least a day before making a final decision. As you think about these names at different times, you will have new and different reactions to them. Take naming your business seriously. You are probably better to start your business without a company name, than you would be to rush into a name that you will not like later.

Another tip is not to think too locally. 1st Street Fashions could become obsolete if you ever need to move.

Avoid word plays and anything else that is hard for people to understand; or is hard for people to remember.

Check internet domain names before you make your final decision, so that you do not end up promoting one of your competitors.

Make sure that your name is easy to spell.

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