Coming up with a professional, yet catchy name, for your business, can be a grueling task. It involves a lot of second-guessing and thinking time for an otherwise simple task. However, there are a few precautions you have to keep in consideration when settling on a name. That’s why we’ve put together a list of naming tips that range from coming up with a name to words to avoid and the legal side of naming. So, if you’re stuck on a name, you’ve come to the right place!
- Keep in mind your target audience. When coming up with a few name choices, you need to keep asking yourself whether it will grab the attention of your audience demographic. A childish business name won’t necessarily bring in a middle-aged demographic and vice versa.
- Keep the right tone. If you offer technical and computer services, you’re going to want a more professional, techy name. However, if you’re setting up a business for children, you’re going to want a simple, eye-catching name.
- Think into the future. If you’re aiming to expand your business in the future, whether that’s across the country or around the world, your name needs to be easy to understand for all.
- Choose something relatable. The name needs to relate to what you offer. This one seems simple but you’d be surprised how much this pops up in businesses all the time.
- Don’t use any words deemed inappropriate or sensitive.
Once you’ve put together a few name ideas and jotted them down, let’s look into the legal side of things. There’s a lot of names that are already taken by other businesses and you can check them out on the government website here. Make sure not to pick any business name that is already taken as it could result in customer confusion. Not only this but making sure your name is available avoids legal trouble that occurs when having the same name as other trademarked and named businesses. Remember, if you are working as a sole trader, then you can’t include “Limited” or anything of the sort in your company’s name. Try to avoid a difficult to pronounce name as you’ll find that it’s cumbersome and problematic when reading it out to clients over the telephone or in-person and could result in mis-spelling.
Finally, like most businesses, it’s important to have an online presence. Before committing to a business name, check that your website address (domain name) is available and that you’re able to create the account names on all of the popular social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. It’s very difficult to find unique social media account names nowadays, so try being creative with your profile handles – adding UK, official or even an underscore may be suitable.
Now you’ve got all the tips and legal advice under your belt, you should be set to go! Keep in mind that your first choice may not always be the best, come up with multiple ideas until you find one you really connect with. Need some more help? Don’t hesitate to contact us and we can provide you with some more information.
