So you’ve got your fantastic business idea, and you’ve set up your business plan, but what are you going to call your new brand?
Thinking of a name for your business often is the last and most challenging step of all. You might have tonnes of ideas, but on the other hand, you may have none.
Don’t settle with the first name you think up!
We’ve collated a few of our favourite tips to help you think about choosing your business name. Use our tips to help you gain a wealth of ideas and then whittle it down from there.
Easy to spell.
If it’s difficult to pronounce or spell, people often look the other way. You want it to be catchy and memorable, not prone to misspelling. Inject some humour into it if it fits with your business model.
Room for growth.
Avoid localising your business name. Your target market may be in one area of the country, but what happens if you expand your business further afield?
This also applies to the product and services you offer. Starting up, you may just offer one, but as you gain more clients, your portfolio of the products provided might build too. Keep this in mind when coming up with names.
It’s not taken already.
Make sure your new name isn’t already taken. Solve this with a simple Google search or look up on Companies House. Try searching for a domain name for the company too as a secondary check before making a final decision. You don’t want to set it all up and then find that you can’t have the website address to match.
Get some feedback.
Discuss your business idea with trusted friends and family, as well as any potential business names too. They might have some cool ideas of their own. Write any and all ideas down; they might not be right for you, but the practice could spark a new and better idea!
Say it out loud.
If you don’t like the way it sounds, ditch it. You must feel comfortable with it, or it will never work for you. You might be repeating it several times a day, so it has to feel natural.
Make sure you’re happy with it.
Ultimately, it’s your business and hopefully will be for a long time. If you’re on the fence with the name of it, go back to the drawing board. Brainstorm some more ideas or have a look at your previous ones. One word could spark something new.
Think about how your logo will look.
Does your business name lend itself to an eye-catching logo?
Again, the logo will be the symbol of your business, so it has to represent you and your services at a glance.
Give it a go yourself or speak to a local graphic designer. You never know, they might have some ideas of their own, or you could end up working together!
Starting a new business is exciting – if you do need anyone to speak to about finances, accounts or becoming self-employed, do get in touch with a member of our team.
