How To Choose A Powerful Name For Your Business

While it is said that you should not judge a book by its cover, giving an impressive first impression is extremely powerful and should not be overlooked. Finding a suitable name for your business has agonized many a person looking to start a business. Ironically it is those individuals that have found the courage to undertake the business startup who are not as strong when it comes to these creative elements such as building a business image.

Interestingly though, some of the greatest titles have had little to do with creativity and imagination, but more with business acumen and a thorough research of
the marketplace. This should put some of you at ease, who feel as though they missed out by skipping that creative writing course in college and are now at the mercy of choosing a boring, unmemorable name you will hate before the paint is dry on your sign. Here are some things you can do to choose a powerful name for your company.

First of all, you’ll need to think about what you want to get across to people. What types of
words or phrases could you associate with your business? You’re at the molecular level at this
point, so just remember to take it one step at a time. Think about your business and the functions,
products, and services it will provide. Think about your target audience and a few of the things
they are likely to enjoy, other than your products. Think about some of your favorite business
names and see if you can find a through-line that connects any or many of those names. Do they
have a common theme? Think about not only your favorite names, but the names of those
companies that are most successful. Consider Coca-Cola, Nike, and McDonald’s, for instance. Do
you notice anything similar about these names?

Once you’ve thought about these things, take a while to simply brainstorm some name
possibilities. Think of at least ten, and try to make them all fit in with the considerations above. If
you’ve found a common element to those names you came up with, see if you can’t follow in kind
with some of your own names. Don’t try to sit down and do this all at one time. Keep a notepad
by your bed or on your desk and return to it anytime you happen to think of a good name to add
to the list. Don’t stretch the task over the next year by any means, but it will be good to let your
mind free to think about names and associate your task with different things.

After you’ve completed your list, it’s time to start crossing off the ones that won’t work and
coming up with a final list of two or three from which to choose. One criteria for keeping or
discarding is whether or not the name is too specific. For instance, if your business will be selling
printer ink, you may not want to name your company Ink, inc., even though it is creative and
catchy (and incorporates the hard K sound found in those businesses we brought up before). But
what if a few years down the road you want to start selling a hundred other office products. Now,
it may not be the worst name, even then, but you don’t want to paint yourself into a corner.

Once the list has been watered down, it is important to go with you instinct. Your most preferable name is what you should go with despite what others may think. At the end of the day, this is your business and not anyone else’s. If it strikes a cord inside you, take it and run with it. It is the name of your business.