Imagine you’re at a smoothie bar trying to decide what to order. Would you choose the ‘Krunchy Kale’ or the ‘Green Goodness’ option? Even if they are made of the exact same ingredients, the name in itself can sway your decision one way or another. This is because names hold a lot of power.
When it comes to choosing your business name, consider how this decision can make or break your success. Also, it’s a good idea to think ahead of time how it will look on all of your branding assets, such as your website or your logo. The process begins with patience, followed by a streamlined thought process.
In this guide, we’ll teach you how to come up with the right business name, so that this big decision will empower you on the path towards pursuing your venture’s goals and dreams.
Here’s how to name a business in five steps:
Brainstorm on your own
Turn to the help of experts
Gather feedback
Make sure it hasn’t been claimed
Give it a final check
01. Brainstorm on your own
Think about the key components that should go into your business name. What do you want it to communicate? Is there a specific emotion you want to convey? Are there industry terms you want to be associated with? Do some internet research on your market while answering these kinds of questions to help guide you in the right direction.
This is a great time to perform an analysis of your competitors to see what top businesses are naming themselves in your industry. Knowing the right jargon will also help you narrow down your choices when using more technical tools such as an automatic name generator.
While researching, you’ll probably start to form some ideas in your head. The next thing you should do is write them down on paper. Leave your judgement aside for just a moment and jot down every name that comes to mind - creativity flows best without restrictions.
After you’re made your initial list, then you can check it twice. Skim through it and test each name individually. Ask yourself this time if each option that you’ve written down will be relatable to your future customers? Whether or not some are too generic? If your choices are meaningful to you? If they make you proud? Such questions will allow you to hone in on names that express your goals best.
02. Turn to the help of experts
Choosing a business name is not an easy feat. After your brainstorming session, you’re probably aware that this is tough work. You don’t have to do it alone though, there are tools accessible online that can help guide you to make the best choice.
One which we highly recommend is the Business Name Generator. It’s simple, it’s free, and it does the grunt work for you. All you have to do is write down three simple things: Your type of business, a word you want to include in your name, and how you would describe your brand. Then, let the tool work it’s magic for you and come up with a large list of options - essentially saving you the hassle of having to figure it out on your own.
For all of the names listed, you can browse how they look in logo form with several different designs. This allows you to see how each business name option appears on one of your most prominent branding assets.
If you’ve found a name on this list that suits you, there’s no need to read any further. All of the options listed have domain availability. This means that right away you can secure your business name by registering it as your own domain, then connecting it to your website. For example, let’s say you chose the name ‘Happy Green Smoothie Co.,’ then your domain name could be ‘happygreensmoothie.com.’
03. Gather feedback
From both the Business Name Generator and your own brainstorming session, you’ve compiled a list of names that you’re excited about. Now, it’s time to narrow down your choices by asking for feedback.
Reach out to friends, family, partners and investors to get their opinions. For more constructive feedback, provide a list of questions for them to answer such as:
What feelings do each of these ideas give you?
Which one is your favorite and why?
Are these easy or difficult to spell in your opinion?
While communicating with everyone, see if you catch yourself having to explain a long and complex story about your choices because if so, those ones can probably be crossed off your list. You won’t want to share this story over and over again, and it certainly won't be a memorable one in the eyes of those buying your products or services.
04. Make sure it hasn’t been claimed
By now you should have chosen a name that you and your close community approve of. If not, repeat the first three steps until you feel confident in your decision. This point is about making sure that you can take ownership of your favorite choice. In order to do so, there are a few places you’ll need to check:
Search engines: Turn to places like Google and Bing to see what comes up when you search your name. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is being associated with something inappropriate. If you do business internationally, check for cultural references across the countries you plan on doing business in.
The domain availability: It’s extremely important as a business owner to have an online presence through the lens of your very own website. When you create a website, your domain name should be closely associated with the name of your business (i.e., www.happygreensmoothie.com). So it’s crucial to check that this domain hasn’t already been taken.
Social media platforms: Do a search on social media to make sure that this name hasn’t already been used. Your Instagram handle, Facebook Business Page, and the other social media branding aspects of your future business are just as important as your domain name is.
Your local business registration service: Lastly, check that someone else didn’t already register a trademark under this name. If you live in the U.S., you can check with Uspto.gov.
05. Give it a final check
Now that you have full legal rights to your carefully chosen business name, give it one more final run through before shouting it to the world.
This begins by actually imagining that action. Say it aloud, use it in sentences, and speak about it with your acquaintances. Even write it down on paper, both abbreviated and turned into an acronym. How does it roll off the tongue? How does it look in text form? Then, picture where you see your business in five years, ten years, and twenty years. Can you imagine this name on a billboard? On the news via television or radio? Envisioning your future and associated name will allow you to truly see if it’s a fit.
Stay patient while going through this final check. Allow the idea to marinate overnight, or even for a few weeks before making it official. It’s important to not rush this step, because once you make it official your name will be everywhere. You’ll need to register your business under this name with your local authorities, claim your domain name, create your social channels, and more. Basically, changing your business name later on will be a lot more complex that doing it right now.
Needless to say, we trust that you are equipped with the right tools and motivation to take your business to new heights. Once you choose your name, the opportunities are endless for you and your business’ potential.
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