How do I name my business? Firstly, watch this video for some ideas!
We have also expanded on this in the list below. But firstly, let’s consider why you need to find a great business name.
Why you need to find a great business name:
A good business name is important for several reasons. It acts as a foundation for your brand identity, making a strong initial impression on your customers and instantly conveying what your business is all about (ideally). It can also:
- Build trust and credibility: A professional-sounding business name can inspire confidence in your potential customers.
- Be memorable and easy to find: People are more likely to remember and recommend a business with a name that’s easy to pronounce and spell. This can also make it easier for them to find you online and on social media – and hopefully, recommend to their friends!
- Support your other marketing and branding efforts: A strong business name can be a valuable asset in your marketing efforts, and can even help with your branding and logo. As your business name will be used across all of your marketing, from your website to socials to business cards, signage and even packaging, if you can find a great business name it will be much easier to co-ordinate these things.
Here are 8 top tips to find a great business name:
- Planning is key! Write down some words to play with to find a great business name – such as your full name (famous example in sports are Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, or Adidas, named after its founder, Adi Dassler), your niche, the type of crafts you make, your fave colours, fruits or the area you’re based in. There’s so much you can use for inspiration!
- Describe your business. This might give you some clarity on words you could use or take inspiration from.
- Think about longevity. Don’t be too specific in one niche i.e. if you speak about ‘stitching’ or ‘calligraphy’ in your title, it can be difficult to switch up your craft type at a later date. You want to ensure your business has longevity if you change some of your products or fundamentals. You might want to expand your offerings in the future, and a narrow name could limit that. However, you also want to define what you do, and if you’re a creative business then you want its name to be creative too!
- Make it web friendly. Check your domain name is available online for your website, and on social media handles. You’ll also want to make it easy to spell and for people to type into search engines. Think of the SEO – ampersands and punctuation aren’t always ideal (even if it looks cute!)
- Use a free business name generator tool. There are lots of these available online that you can use to brainstorm ideas, and give you some inspo. They may not suggest the perfect name, but you can use them for further ideas to help you find a great business name.
- Be unique, don’t copy! Check Companies House, check online trademarks, have a Google and check socials to see if it’s been used already. You don’t need the competition, and you certainly don’t want to get sued!!
- Make it clear and memorable: Keep it simple and easy to understand. People should be able to remember your name after hearing it once. Avoid overly complex or trendy names that might lose their appeal over time.
- Get feedback. Ask family, friends, or other people you trust. Test the name out. Other people might spot something you haven’t.
Looking for more small business tips? Check out our other blogs…