A Guide to Naming Your Business

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet… but would it sell as many flowers? Naming. It’s one of the most exciting and potentially frustrating parts of starting a business. Here’s how we approach it with our clients.

A Guide to Naming Your Business A Guide to Naming Your Business
  • Start with a huge list of potential company names.

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  • Try to think of unique names, but not so different that no one will ever remember it.  

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  • Two syllable names are easier for people to remember, and spell.  

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  • Names that are phonetic (spelled exactly how they sound) lead to fewer misspellings in your search results, email, etc.

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  • Pick 3-5 that make sense for your ideal customer.

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  • Think about your ideal customer. If you’re selling a really high end product, you’ll probably want a name that’s sophisticated and elegant vs. one that’s cute and basic. 

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  • Check to see which names are available.

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  • Check the business registration records for your state on the Secretary of State website where you live. 

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  • Google it. See what kinds of businesses and websites come up. If there’s something too similar, eliminate it.

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  • Go to https://namechk.com for a one-stop search of social media usernames, urls & trademarks. 

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  • Go to httpnamecheap.com to see url costs. 

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  • Register and claim your name.

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  • Register your b with your Secretary of State so anyone searching later sees that it’s taken. 

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  • Buy your url for your website. 

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  • Claim your handle on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram (whether or not you plan on using them)

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  • Decide if you need to trademark. If you’re in a big industry (particularly food & beverage), and selling nationally, you should consider contact a trademark lawyer. 

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This checklist was created by picniccreative

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