Define your business plan and mission statement goals before brainstorming. If you know exactly what your brand is, it’ll be easier to think of usable words. Look at words from the dictionary and thesaurus too. You might find others words with similar meanings that you like better than the ones you brainstormed. Try to use words, names, and phrases that communicate the feeling and energy you want people to get when they see your business’s name.
For example, if you’re starting up a to-go waffle cart, you could name it “GoWaffle. ” Lots of well-known businesses do this! Think about the name “TurboTax. ” It’s short, simple, and tells you exactly what the business is about using a mashup of 2 words. You could also abbreviate the words. For example, “Netflix” is a combination of “internet” (shortened to “net”) and “flicks” (shortened to “flix”).
For example, if your new bakery uses a recipe passed down by your mother, you could use her name and call the business something like “Julie’s Bakery. ” Think of businesses like “Tommy Hilfiger” or “Ben & Jerry’s. ” They’re so widely recognized that many people know exactly what they sell by the name alone. You could also use the name of a place in your business title, like your hometown or the business’s town of origin.
Let’s say you’re a dating coach who specializes in helping people find love. You could include “Aphrodite,” the Greek goddess of love, in your business name.
For example, a counselor or life coach could name their business “Ad Meliora,” which is Latin for “towards better things. ” You could also use a foreign language to name your business. For example, if you’re starting a gelato shop, look for Italian words and phrases like “Dolce Gelo” (sweet freeze). The company “Magnavox” (which makes and sells electronics) has a name based in Latin. It means “great voice,” referring to Magnavox’s origins in manufacturing speakers.
For example, if you named your business “Venture Travel Agency,” you could shorten it to “VTA. ” Lots of prominent businesses do this! Think of AT&T (“American Telephone and Telegraph Company”) or CVS (“Consumer Value Stores”).
Other examples include “Black Cyprus” and “North Face,” which are both extremely evocative and versatile business names. Try a gerund verb phrase. A gerund is simply an “-ing” word. This makes your business sound active, fun and welcoming. For example, “Laughing Planet” is an organic burrito chain, while “Turning Leaf” is a wine producer.
Say you’re starting a hair salon and like the word “Shimmer. ” You could call the business “Shimmr Salon. ” Look at the popular blogging site, Tumblr. You still know how to pronounce it, but the “e” in the original word “Tumbler” is dropped to make the business name short and catchy. Once you’ve compiled a list of potential names, it’s time to narrow them down and pick the best one! Use the next section to find your final business name.
Consider your market: who are the people you’re trying to reach, and what do they respond to in other brands? For example, a florist could use descriptive, appealing names like “House of Blooms” or “Flower Power. ” Avoid clichéd names that lack originality. For example, names with Ameri, Tech, Corp, or Tron as prefixes or suffixes aren’t original and might not stand out to people. Meaningless names like “Yahoo” or “Google” are still catchy (and obviously well-known). However, when you’re just starting out, it costs a lot more to market businesses with nondescript names.
“Omaha Pipe and Drain” would work for a plumbing business in the Omaha area, but it won’t help land a contract in another city. A name like “Urban Pipe and Drain” is more universally usable! For this reason, Kentucky Fried Chicken officially changed its name to “KFC”. The location (“Kentucky”) and the product (“Fried Chicken”) imposed limits on the business, whereas “KFC” doesn’t.
Avoid hard-to-spell names. If you think potential customers could have trouble finding your business online because of its spelling, you might want to pick something simpler.
Outside feedback can also ensure your chosen name doesn’t have any negative connotations you might be unaware of. For example, if your name utilizes a foreign language, ask someone fluent what they think of it.
You can also use the Thomas Register of Manufacturers to search for business names, plus registered and unregistered trade and service marks. Some states maintain their own trademark registries, either through the secretary of state’s office or county by county. Consult with your county clerk’s office to learn how your state keeps track of its businesses.
Popular registrar choices include GoDaddy, IONOS, Domain. com, and Squarespace. Consider buying several related domain names simultaneously, in addition to the one you’ll actually be using. This prevents others from buying them and making it harder for people to find your website. For example, if you plan to use “mywebsite. com” as your domain name, you could also buy “mywebsite. net” and “mywebsite. info” to ensure that nobody else uses the same name with a different ending.
If you create a limited liability corporation, the registered business name must end in “LLC” or “L. L. C,” or include the phrase “limited liability corporation. ” For example, Google is actually an LLC. The company’s official name is “Google LLC,” but “LLC” just isn’t included in Google’s logo, branding, and advertisements. C-corporation names should include 1 of 4 phrases: “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,” or “limited. ” You can also abbreviate “corporation” to “corp” or “incorporated” to “inc. ” Apple is a C-corporation. Its full name is “Apple Inc. ,” but the logo and branding just use “Apple. ”
Before completing any paperwork, ensure you have all the materials for creating your business, including a slogan, logo, and “basis” for filing—which is an argument for why you need to trademark the business. You can always consult with a trademark lawyer throughout the process to ensure you’re not missing anything.
