You have a brilliant idea for an artisan waffle kiosk, but you don't know what to call it? Increase the chances of finding many customers and kick off your business on the right foot by following these simple tips for naming your business.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Create a List of Possible Names for Your Business
Step 1. Determine what elements of your business the name should refer to
Before thinking about possible names, consider what your business is about. You should know your niche and have set your goals in your business plan. A software company may want to emphasize the quality and ease of use of its products, while an accounting company may want to emphasize its accuracy.
Step 2. Evaluate your market
You will need to understand who your potential customers are and what they will be looking for when they contact you. If your customers are wealthy, you should choose a name that matches their sophisticated tastes. If your clients are career mothers who don't have time to clean the house, you should consider names that appeal to their busy schedules, their desire for cleanliness and order, or maybe both.
Step 3. Write a list of words that represent the qualities you want to advertise
List both the qualities you want to convey and the ones you think are sought after by customers. Ideally, the words you choose will have to meet both requirements; at the time of writing the list, however, you should not discard any words.
- Find a wide variety of words specific to your business. "Rover" might be a good name if you are planning to open a business to walk dogs, while "Cachi" might be perfect for a Lebanese restaurant, as it is a great fruit that the state is known for.
- You can find words by consulting a dictionary and a dictionary of synonyms and antonyms. You can also use programs that will help you brainstorm.
Step 4. Look for a simple one-word name
Trendy and upscale restaurants often have short, punchy names that emphasize simplicity and quality, such as "Fico" or "Festa". Likewise, the shoe company "Timberland" (literally, forest from timber) specializes in the manufacture of boots and that name, simple and earthy, reflects the good of the product, considering that the typical woodcutter emphasizes it with the his personal human touch.
Step 5. Find some simple sentences with adjective and noun
"Black Cyprus" or "North Face" are striking and versatile. A noun and modifier are simple, but also precise, like "Urban Outfitters" or "American Apparel".
Look for a sentence with the verb in the gerund. A gerund is simply a word in "ando-endo". This tends to give the business an active and fun sound and makes it a place with a welcoming atmosphere: "Turning the Leaf", for example, is a winemaker
Step 6. Use a proper name
Incorporating someone's real name into your business is a great way to add a personal touch, even if they're not a real person. McDonald's has never been owned by someone named "McDonald", just as there has never been a "John" in Papa John's pizza chain.
Step 7. Create a new word
A portmanteau is a word made up of two words, such as "KitchenAid" "Microsoft" or "RedBox." This lends an experimental flavor to your business and makes the sound fresh and current. You are making up a word, in essence, so this perfectly renders the idea of entrepreneurial efforts.
Step 8. Play with words
A few simple sound-related literary tools can lend your business name a memorable quality:
- The repetition of the initial sounds of words, called alliteration, brings sight and sound into play, as in trade names such as "Papyrus Press," "K-Dee's Coffee" and "Smith Sound". Similar to alliteration is assonance, which plays with the rhyme of vowel sounds. "Blue Moon Pools" is an example of assonance.
- Rhyming, whether exact or inaccurate, can make a name for memorable feats. "The Reel Deal" might make sense as a dollar theater or a fishing shop.
- Playing out a conversational idiom is another way to come up with a memorable business name. A bar called "Liquid Courage" or a coffee shop called "Common Ground" employ this. The risk of picking up a trivial or cliche name is significant with this technique, but try to give your list as many names as possible to work with. You can always scratch it later.
- A historical, literary or mythological reference can be successful. "Starbucks", after all, is named after a Moby Dick character.
Part 2 of 3: Evaluating the Names on the List
Step 1. Choose a short name that is easy to spell and pronounce
Short names are easier to remember; this is why the Texas Oil Company shortened its name to Texaco. It's hard to believe that "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" would have been successful if they hadn't preferred a shorter "Yahoo!"
Even if you're using made-up words or using creative spellings, make sure they make sense for the product or service. "U-Haul" and "flickr" work, despite their texting, because they are very specific names for the business, not because they have a strange spelling
Step 2. Go to the universal meaning
It might seem like the best idea in the world to call your construction company "Daedalus Construction" because you have studied Greek mythology, but it is risky to go beyond the potential client's understanding.
At this point you need to get to know the public: a comic shop called "Jim Gordon" might appeal to Batman fans, but it risks alienating the average reader. See it as a good compromise. Upscale restaurants in expensive neighborhoods may stand out with a French denomination, but it would be a bad idea in the suburbs, where customers may actually feel left out or out of place
Step 3. Avoid clichés
It happens too often that an adjective is grounded in a noun to give rise to horrible nouns, such as QualiTrade or AmeriBank. Similar names are devoid of personality and do not stand out in a market saturated with such names.
If your business name includes Ita, Euro, Mondial, Tech, Corp, or Tron as a prefix or suffix, you'd better choose something less exploited
Step 4. Look for meaningful names that are not geographically limiting
Too specific a name will limit your business to a particular niche and you may need to change the company name if you want to expand your market. "Florence pipes and drains" is a name that may fit a plumbing repair company operating in the Florence area, but it won't help you get contracts in other cities.
Step 5. Choose the most accurate name
If everyone calls your print and photocopy shop "Copisteria di via Roma", don't risk changing it to "The Magnificent Fantastic Super Fun Copy Shop" just because the name given isn't exciting enough. In the end, the product or service is the most important thing and the name is the package it comes with. If there is already one that works, don't change it.
Alternatively, try to figure out when you picked a name that doesn't work and take the risk of changing it
Part 3 of 3: Record the Name
Step 1. Make sure no one else in your line of business has registered the name you are considering
When you have a favorites list, you need to make sure that no one else has a registered trademark with these names. There are several resources to use to see if the name is already in use.
- The US Patent and Trademark Office maintains a public research facility at its Alexandria, Virginia office, as well as trademark and patent depository libraries. The most convenient way to do a search is through their database - Trademark Electronic Search System - which is online and free. You can then enter the registration or serial number of any brand to find out if it is currently registered or expired.
- Some states maintain their own trademark registers, usually through the office of the Secretary of State. Others maintain a database of fictitious names and corporate names used by businesses, at the state or local level. Check with the zone secretary's office to find out how your state maintains its databases.
- The Thomas Register lists trade names and registered trademarks of business services and activities, as well as unregistered ones. It is available online or you can consult a printed copy at your local library, at least in the US.
Step 2. Prepare the necessary materials
It is much more than a name that you will register - it is the concept and model for your business. You will need to provide a clear representation of what you want to record. If you want a word, slogan, design or combination of these things to make up your trademark, you will need to be able to provide a "reason" for filing which, essentially, explains why a trademark is needed for your business. commercial.
The terms trademark and servicemark are distinguished in terms of supplying a product (brand) or service (servicemark)
Step 3. Apply for a trademark for your business
Fill out the online application, pay the necessary fees and keep track of your practice. You might want to consult a trademark lawyer to make sure you don't forget anything.
Advice
- When choosing a name, make sure it's a name you believe in. If you don't like the name, you won't be motivated enough to make others like it.
- You may still be able to use an already registered name if you are using the name in a different market sector or if your business is geographically located away from the first. You should consult an attorney experienced in these matters before choosing a name that is already registered.
