How Should I Present Myself By Picking The Right Name for Your Business
How Should I Present Myself By Picking The Right Name for Your Business
The main objective to keep in mind is this: Your business name should convey information about your business. If it doesn’t convey anything, it’s essentially useless—unless you’re Google and have gobs of money to spend teaching people a new word.
Naming a company is difficult when you’re just starting out or making a transition. Your business will change and evolve as you find your market and learn more about the needs of that market. If you choose a name at the very beginning, it may not reflect what you actually end up doing.
Your business name must have room for growth, and should, ideally, be able to transform and grow as your business grows, too.
So, if possible, start with something that is more general than specific, and consider it temporary. It might make sense to start with your name as the business name. That, at least, is less likely to change.
The bottom line is this: Take your time. Don’t rush into making a decision about your company name. If necessary, in the interim, use a simple business card with your personal name and a list of services you’re offering. As you interact with people, especially with clients, it will become clearer what you’re doing and what you should call your business.
You probably have lots of cute and clever ideas for a business name. But those are probably from your own point of view and not that of your clients. For example, a client recently had a consultation to discuss the naming of his business and his logo. As a designer, he was very focused on which logo looked better, but he had not given much thought to the name he’d chosen: John Smith Digital Graphics.
At networking events, he was dismayed to discover that no one understood what digital graphics meant. Many people thought he offered pre-press services (which he doesn’t). When asked what tangible product his clients get as a result of working with him, he said, “They get a web site that is usable.”
Oh, so he’s a web site designer. Why didn’t he just say that?
Partially because he doesn’t want to say what everyone else says. He wants to be different. But this is neither the time nor the place to be different. Because if you present yourself using unclear words that confuse your prospects, they’ll never turn into clients.
BHD: Should my name be my business name, too?
You may not realize it, but your name is more than just your name. It’s also a valuable marketing tool at your disposal. So how should you use it?
One of your marketing objectives is to have a little share of your prospects’ minds so that when a need arises, your name comes readily to them. If you’ve been working for any length of time, there is undoubtedly a reputation that precedes you—people who know you or know of you, stories people can tell about you—for better or worse. If that’s the case, you can capitalize on the reputation, or “brand recognition,” you’ve already built for yourself by including your name in the name of your business or company.
On the other hand, if no one has ever heard of you, calling your firm Betty Smith and Associates will convey no information at all to a prospect who sees or hears it—so that doesn’t work as a marketing tool.
Keep in mind that, sometimes, besides your name, the name of your business will be the only thing your prospects see—on a business card, on your nametag, on a list of attendees at a meeting—and it should therefore reflect the focus of the work that you do, since you won’t always be available to elaborate. In fact, your company name should be so clear that it speaks for itself.
So while Smith & Associates may have name recognition, it conveys no information about the kind of services offered, much less a specialty. It could just as easily be a law firm as a marketing firm, and any prospect who saw only Smith & Associates would have no clue, which means a lost opportunity for business.
Smith Communications is little bit better because it is more descriptive but still general enough to encompass many services and client needs (it could include services such as graphic design, writing, public relations, marketing, almost anything). So this could be a good candidate for a temporary name.
But Smith Copywriting or Smith Design—or, even better, Smith Direct Mail Copywriting or Smith Web Design—is even more descriptive, so prospects needing these specific services would immediately know they’d found what they were looking for.
Business Naming Dos and Don’ts
· Do think long-term. When choosing a business name, choose something you can live with for three to five years. As your business evolves, you will see whether or how you need to change your name. Don’t change it just because you get bored, though, because you’ll lose all the brand equity you’ve built into that name.
· Don’t get too fancy or creative with your name, especially if your market is on the conservative side, because your clients won’t understand what you do. The name should be easy to pronounce and to remember, not esoteric or obscure. Do make sure the name of your business rolls easily off the tongue in two to three syllables. You don’t want a long, unpronounceable name that people will avoid saying. And make sure it is easy to spell, because that will make it easier to find in search engines and on the Internet. If prospects misspell your web address, they may never find you—but they may find your competition.
· Do consider where you’ll land in alphabetical listings. If you can use one of the early letters in the alphabet, do so.
· Do make sure the name you select has only positive associations. For example, Accurate Bookkeeping Services not only has positive associations, but it also would be near the top of an alphabetical listing. Joyous Media has positive associations, but it doesn’t communicate what the business is.
· Don’t choose something that has a personal or private meaning. Many people also use their geographic locations in their business names, which is good if the market would appreciate a local vendor. But sometimes it only has a personal meaning, like Mountain View Graphics or 408 Group (because the street address is 408).
· Do create a name that reflects a need your market has. For example, you can guess the specialty of a company called ReachWomen. When clients who need to reach women hear that name, they’ll respond immediately because the name reflects their need. Or how about Cross It Off Your List, an organizing and relocation company in New York City? Think about what your prospects need, and how that need can be finessed into a business name.
· Do make sure the name of your business rolls easily off the tongue in two to three syllables. You don’t want a long, unpronounceable name that people will avoid saying. And make sure it is easy to spell, because that will make it easier to find in search engines and on the Internet. If prospects misspell your web address, they may never find you—but they may find your competition.
Take your time thinking about this and getting feedback from other people. Your company name is an important choice.
How Should I Present Myself By Picking The Right Name for Your Business - To learn more about this author, visit Ilise Benun's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Your business needs a name. And that name should work from a marketing standpoint.
The main objective to keep in mind is this: Your business name should convey information about your business. If it doesn’t convey anything, it’s essentially useless—unless you’re Google and have gobs of money to spend teaching people a new word.
Naming a company is difficult when you’re just starting out or making a transition. Your business will change and evolve as you find your market and learn more about the needs of that market. If you choose a name at the very beginning, it may not reflect what you actually end up doing.
Your business name must have room for growth, and should, ideally, be able to transform and grow as your business grows, too.
So, if possible, start with something that is more general than specific, and consider it temporary. It might make sense to start with your name as the business name. That, at least, is less likely to change.
The bottom line is this: Take your time. Don’t rush into making a decision about your company name. If necessary, in the interim, use a simple business card with your personal name and a list of services you’re offering. As you interact with people, especially with clients, it will become clearer what you’re doing and what you should call your business.
You probably have lots of cute and clever ideas for a business name. But those are probably from your own point of view and not that of your clients. For example, a client recently had a consultation to discuss the naming of his business and his logo. As a designer, he was very focused on which logo looked better, but he had not given much thought to the name he’d chosen: John Smith Digital Graphics.
At networking events, he was dismayed to discover that no one understood what digital graphics meant. Many people thought he offered pre-press services (which he doesn’t). When asked what tangible product his clients get as a result of working with him, he said, “They get a web site that is usable.”
Oh, so he’s a web site designer. Why didn’t he just say that?
Partially because he doesn’t want to say what everyone else says. He wants to be different. But this is neither the time nor the place to be different. Because if you present yourself using unclear words that confuse your prospects, they’ll never turn into clients.
BHD: Should my name be my business name, too?
You may not realize it, but your name is more than just your name. It’s also a valuable marketing tool at your disposal. So how should you use it?
One of your marketing objectives is to have a little share of your prospects’ minds so that when a need arises, your name comes readily to them. If you’ve been working for any length of time, there is undoubtedly a reputation that precedes you—people who know you or know of you, stories people can tell about you—for better or worse. If that’s the case, you can capitalize on the reputation, or “brand recognition,” you’ve already built for yourself by including your name in the name of your business or company.
On the other hand, if no one has ever heard of you, calling your firm Betty Smith and Associates will convey no information at all to a prospect who sees or hears it—so that doesn’t work as a marketing tool.
Keep in mind that, sometimes, besides your name, the name of your business will be the only thing your prospects see—on a business card, on your nametag, on a list of attendees at a meeting—and it should therefore reflect the focus of the work that you do, since you won’t always be available to elaborate. In fact, your company name should be so clear that it speaks for itself.
So while Smith & Associates may have name recognition, it conveys no information about the kind of services offered, much less a specialty. It could just as easily be a law firm as a marketing firm, and any prospect who saw only Smith & Associates would have no clue, which means a lost opportunity for business.
Smith Communications is little bit better because it is more descriptive but still general enough to encompass many services and client needs (it could include services such as graphic design, writing, public relations, marketing, almost anything). So this could be a good candidate for a temporary name.
But Smith Copywriting or Smith Design—or, even better, Smith Direct Mail Copywriting or Smith Web Design—is even more descriptive, so prospects needing these specific services would immediately know they’d found what they were looking for.
Business Naming Dos and Don’ts
· Do think long-term. When choosing a business name, choose something you can live with for three to five years. As your business evolves, you will see whether or how you need to change your name. Don’t change it just because you get bored, though, because you’ll lose all the brand equity you’ve built into that name.
· Don’t get too fancy or creative with your name, especially if your market is on the conservative side, because your clients won’t understand what you do. The name should be easy to pronounce and to remember, not esoteric or obscure. Do make sure the name of your business rolls easily off the tongue in two to three syllables. You don’t want a long, unpronounceable name that people will avoid saying. And make sure it is easy to spell, because that will make it easier to find in search engines and on the Internet. If prospects misspell your web address, they may never find you—but they may find your competition.
· Do consider where you’ll land in alphabetical listings. If you can use one of the early letters in the alphabet, do so.
· Do make sure the name you select has only positive associations. For example, Accurate Bookkeeping Services not only has positive associations, but it also would be near the top of an alphabetical listing. Joyous Media has positive associations, but it doesn’t communicate what the business is.
· Don’t choose something that has a personal or private meaning. Many people also use their geographic locations in their business names, which is good if the market would appreciate a local vendor. But sometimes it only has a personal meaning, like Mountain View Graphics or 408 Group (because the street address is 408).
· Do create a name that reflects a need your market has. For example, you can guess the specialty of a company called ReachWomen. When clients who need to reach women hear that name, they’ll respond immediately because the name reflects their need. Or how about Cross It Off Your List, an organizing and relocation company in New York City? Think about what your prospects need, and how that need can be finessed into a business name.
· Do make sure the name of your business rolls easily off the tongue in two to three syllables. You don’t want a long, unpronounceable name that people will avoid saying. And make sure it is easy to spell, because that will make it easier to find in search engines and on the Internet. If prospects misspell your web address, they may never find you—but they may find your competition.
Take your time thinking about this and getting feedback from other people. Your company name is an important choice.
How Should I Present Myself By Picking The Right Name for Your Business - To learn more about this author, visit Ilise Benun's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr'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 |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Ilise'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!
|
|
|
 Radio Campaigns Sample Credit Application 11 Ways to Build Business Content Challenged 7 Strategies to Take Action |
|
 | ||
 |
Fortune Hunters
CBC Entrepreneur TV | |
 |
Top 50 Debt Blogs
Learn To Get Out Of Debt | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
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!
|
|
|
