Choosing Your Franchise Name
Choosing Your Franchise Name
Your name is the first thing potential clients will see or hear, so it had better leave a lasting impression.
Where do you start? First, pick a name that's memorable. New businesses come and go, but it's the ones whose names stand out that get new clients.
Think about it. The harder the name is to say or spell, the harder it is to find in the phone book or on the Internet. Plus, if people are afraid to mispronounce it, you'll miss out on all that good word-of-mouth public relations
.
Next, pick a name that gives a clue as to what your business does. Just because your favorite flower is a daisy doesn't mean you need to incorporate the word daisy into the name of your auto body shop.
Sure, business names are personal, especially with small firms. But too many businesses focus their branding on what they like rather than the tastes of their target audience.
Also, try to stay away from trends. Pick a name that is timeless and branding that will appeal across the board.
If you're running a day care center, for instance, you're marketing to the child's parents, siblings, grandparents and community. Choose a name that is gender-neutral, age-neutral and location-neutral.
What's the long and short of it? The longer the name, the harder it is to say — and type, when you're thinking about Web domain names. Long names tend to get abbreviated or shortened in marketing materials and Web addresses, which ultimately leads to confusion and frustration.
Think about Google, Target, Kodak, Pepsi, Ingles, Belk and Taco Bell. Just about all the great company names and products are short and easy to say, usually one word or two.
What about personal names? They can add credibility to your company, like McDonald's, L.L. Bean and Williams-Sonoma. But in my book it's better to pick something catchy that lends well to a great logo and great image design. Think Amazon, Yahoo, Krispy Kreme and Juicy Couture.
So, what's next? Stake your claim. Register your assumed name or file your incorporation papers right away. Get your domain name from services like www.godaddy.com or www.dotster.com. And start using either TM (trademark) or SM (service mark). You don't have to register them to use them.
For more protection, the cost of purchasing a U.S. trademark or service mark is a drop in the bucket compared with trying to defend it later, especially if you're thinking about nationwide growth or franchising.
Choosing Your Franchise Name - To learn more about this author, visit Ken Hollowell's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Choosing a bad name may not make or break your business, but it sure can make the road ahead rockier, especially when it comes to branding and believability. Before you commit, first ask yourself: Is it easy to say? Is it easy to spell? And is it easy to see?
Your name is the first thing potential clients will see or hear, so it had better leave a lasting impression.
Where do you start? First, pick a name that's memorable. New businesses come and go, but it's the ones whose names stand out that get new clients.
Think about it. The harder the name is to say or spell, the harder it is to find in the phone book or on the Internet. Plus, if people are afraid to mispronounce it, you'll miss out on all that good word-of-mouth public relations
.
Next, pick a name that gives a clue as to what your business does. Just because your favorite flower is a daisy doesn't mean you need to incorporate the word daisy into the name of your auto body shop.
Sure, business names are personal, especially with small firms. But too many businesses focus their branding on what they like rather than the tastes of their target audience.
Also, try to stay away from trends. Pick a name that is timeless and branding that will appeal across the board.
If you're running a day care center, for instance, you're marketing to the child's parents, siblings, grandparents and community. Choose a name that is gender-neutral, age-neutral and location-neutral.
What's the long and short of it? The longer the name, the harder it is to say — and type, when you're thinking about Web domain names. Long names tend to get abbreviated or shortened in marketing materials and Web addresses, which ultimately leads to confusion and frustration.
Think about Google, Target, Kodak, Pepsi, Ingles, Belk and Taco Bell. Just about all the great company names and products are short and easy to say, usually one word or two.
What about personal names? They can add credibility to your company, like McDonald's, L.L. Bean and Williams-Sonoma. But in my book it's better to pick something catchy that lends well to a great logo and great image design. Think Amazon, Yahoo, Krispy Kreme and Juicy Couture.
So, what's next? Stake your claim. Register your assumed name or file your incorporation papers right away. Get your domain name from services like www.godaddy.com or www.dotster.com. And start using either TM (trademark) or SM (service mark). You don't have to register them to use them.
For more protection, the cost of purchasing a U.S. trademark or service mark is a drop in the bucket compared with trying to defend it later, especially if you're thinking about nationwide growth or franchising.
Choosing Your Franchise Name - To learn more about this author, visit Ken Hollowell's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Ken's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Client-Attracting Web Copy Reference Check Form Intro to M&A Leadership Assessment Improve Web Site Conversions |
|
 | ||
 |
Guide To ERP Software
Business Management Software | |
 |
The Top 10 Guy Kawasaki Posts
Best Posts for Entrepreneurs | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||