Name Your Business
As this is a topic that has come up in my conversations with people in start-up businesses recently, I thought I’d share my method for naming my business. It might not suit everyone, but it might help.
Firstly, dig out the Thesaurus, (the big thick book gathering dust in the corner!!). What we want is words, and plenty of them. Get some strips of paper or card, and a pen, or if you prefer to sit with a word document, and bang in words on a blank page that’s fine too. Just leave space around them so you can print them, and cut them out. We want words on strips of paper so we can move them around.
How To Start
Begin by asking yourself questions. I’ve made some suggestions here…
- In relation to my business, who am I… write down any words that come into your head, (Listener, energetic).
- Who is my business?… and again, write down any words that come into your head, (fun, serious, alternative).
- What does my business do?…(Graphic Design, distribution, service).
- What are the values I associate with my business?…Strong, reliable
- Think of any animals or Insects that might reflect what you do in their behaviour or values…Elephants are strong, Chameleon’s change colour, Ants work together.
Don’t discount any words, no matter how stupid they sound.
Your answers should be only one or two words each time, write all of them down.
Use the Thesaurus to get different words meaning the same thing, and write all of these down too.
Now cut them out and put them out onto a table. Start looking at the words, mix them up, try different combinations together. Write down these combinations.
Research it
Now start researching your favourites online, check domain names, check other businesses with that or similar names, do a search on the CRO website. Combinations of words make it easier to bag your domain name or business name with CRO. Remember with the internet, you are now global!! Try to think of all the combinations online that you would like to have, and if you want the .com or .ie, or all of them. The .ie might be very important because it says you are Irish.
Some points to remember …
Before you consider using acronym’s, ask yourself is that easy to understand for the customer? Does it say what I’m about? Does it say anything? The first question to be asked of you will be ‘what does it stand for?’
Try not to tie yourself to a placename or person’s name (what if you expand or move). There are of course instances where these names are more appropriate or traditional, such as a Solicitors or Lawyers practice.
Make it unique, make it simple, clear, uncomplicated and easy to spell, (or you will be forever explaining yourself).
Now start saying it out loud, and get others to say it back to you. See how it sounds. Make sure it is only positive, no negativity allowed!! Enlist your friends and family to help out.
And Finally…
When you get there…protect that name. Buy your domain names and register your name with the CRO. Another point to remember is that names can be repeated under different service categories or classes of goods.
Keep the words that you feel are the most relevant, because when it comes to designing your logo, they come in handy.
Useful Links
http://www.cro.ie/ena/about-cro.aspx
http://www.cro.ie/ena/registering-a-business-name-online-5.aspx
For registering a domain name;
http://www.iedr.ie/index.php/mnuresellers/list-of-registrars
I hope you got something from this.
Have FUN!!
