Starting A Business: Naming Your New Business

Having done both (more than once), I am going to make the argument that choosing a name for your business is even more difficult than choosing a name for your child. While you don’t have to factor in things like people in your past that had that name, in-laws, and what will happen to your business on the playground, with your child, once you decide that you like the name, you’re done. No so with your business.

With a business you need to go much further. You need to find out if there are other businesses with that name, and if so, if they are in your industry. Is the trademark available? Is the domain name available? Does it mean the same thing to others as it does to you? The list goes on. There are businesses out there thriving on this very concept. Day in and day out, they help people name their companies. There are also companies that will help you name your child, but that is another story entirely.

These services are not for us though. We are not that decisionally challenged. We would never entrust such an important, personal decision to strangers. Besides, we are on a budget, right? So here are are some tips and advice about naming your business.

CHOOSE A NAME WITH MEANING

Unless you have a HUGE advertising budget, you want to stay away from names that do not mean anything, and do not indicate what the business does. Google, Yahoo!, EBay, and Amazon, spent millions before most people knew they existed, or what they did.

Using your family name in the name of your business is fine, but only if you never intend to sell it to anyone outside your family. You want to avoid anything too generic as well. Accurate Business Accounting, may tell your potential customer exactly what you do, but it does not distinguish you from your competitors. If they see your brochure, or an advertisement with that name, it is not likely they’ll remember you. You need to strike a balance between creative and descriptive, so when people hear the name, they remember it and they have at least a vague idea about what you do.

THINK BIG FROM THE BEGINNING

You may also want to avoid any regional references in your name. Be optimistic. You’re going to take over the world right? A multi-national distributor of widgets with the name West Coast Widgets, just doesn’t work. 5th Street Bakery might seem like a great idea in the beginning, but what happens when you want to open the other 10 locations? What if you move?

IS THE NAME AVAILABLE?

Your State

The first place to check is with your state’s Secretary of State and Corporation Commission. You can usually do this online. You will want to check if there are any other registered entities (corporations, LLCs, etc.) or DBAs (Doing Business As) that are already using that name.

Trademark

This is a big one. Once you decide on a name you like, you need to check if other businesses are already using the name. There are many ways to do this, but the best first step is going to be to Google it. Throw the name into Google, and see what comes up. If there are businesses there, but not with the exact name, and not in your industry, you may still be in luck.

Check the trademark availability at the US Patent and Trademark Office website. Even if you are not planning to register the trademark right away, you want to make sure it is available. I recommend registering your trademark as soon as the budget allows. Remember, you’re going to take over the world! If you register yourself, it will cost about $325. All of the information is available at the USPTO website. A lawyer will cost more, but will save you time and possible delays if you do something wrong. Here is a resource that will prepare and file your trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for $169 + standard government filing fee of $325.

Domain Name
This is your website address. Once you are confident you have a unique name, you get the joy of checking if the Domain Name is available. There are many domain registrars out there and each has a search function. GoDaddy.com has a good search function because it gives you possible alternates if the name is not available. Be prepared to discover your name has already been taken. Don’t get discouraged, get creative.

Avoid using an alternate spelling of your name, because you’ll probably end up sending business to whoever owns the right spelling. You can try adding something to the beginning or end of a name though, or a logical abbreviation. If you are going to incorporate, try adding inc to the end. If you are going to form an LLC, try adding that. (My next post will talk about business entities) Of course this only works if the people who have the name you want, are doing something completely different with the website.

This is what brainstorming is for. If you expect people to input the name directly into a web browser, don’t get cute with the spelling. Remember that most people will find you online either by reading the name from a business card, brochure or an advertisement, or using a search engine. This is why a creative prefix, suffix, or abbreviation is much better than an alternate (wrong) spelling.

If you are going to do business in the “real world” your domain name should be your business name. If you are starting an internet business, there are different approaches to picking a name. One is a branded name- something memorable that hopefully, indicates something about your business. The other is a keyword rich domain name, optimized for search engines. I chose to combine these two approaches for this site. Startupdaddy.com (my branded name) redirects to home-based-business-startups.com (comprised of keywords and optimized for search engine rank).

DON’T FORGET TO CONSIDER OTHER CULTURES & LANGUAGES

A classic example of a name becoming a problem later, was the Ford NOVA. This car sold very well domestically, but not so great in Mexico or Latin America. This is because in Spanish, “No Va” means “Doesn’t Go.” Food for thought.

Test Your Name

This is important, so do some testing. At the very least, run the name by everyone you know. If you want to provide your product or service to customers with diverse cultural backgrounds, run the name by people who speak different languages. To get more sophisticated, you can use surveys or a pay-per-click advertising campaign to see if your name accomplishes what you want it to.

Whatever you do, don’t settle. Don’t pick a name just because the domain name is available. Remember, if you are lucky, you’ll be living with this name for a very, very, long time.

48 replies
  1. Rob says:

    Thanks for the article Ian. You make a good point about not using “regional references”. I started a home based business selling Radio Control Cars and used the name Vancouver Hobbies because my original intention was to stay small and sell locally (Vancouver, BC Canada). Thanks to the internet, my fun little hobby business has now expanded to North America and my largest market is now south of the border in the USA. Even though I am able to ship from a warehouse in the US, many of my US customers have concerns about dealing with a Canadian based shop. Perhaps if the business was named differently, those concerns wouldn’t arrise.

    Listen to Ian everyone. Think big, learn from my mistake.

    Rob
    http://www.VancouverHobbies.com

  2. Shannon Moore says:

    Great article Ian! Choosing a business name is more of an emotional process than folks fully realize & I think you laid out all the important steps very clearly.

    I did want to add one note about your trademark section. The suggestions are great – everyone should definitely take advantage of the free resources out there. My one concern is that that type of research isn’t comprehensive. First if filing for a Federal trademark that means all other States will have to be checked, which includes the corporations, LLCs, etc. as well as trademarks. The Feds do not check State trademarks.

    Another caveat pertains to the USPTO site. Yes, it’s a great free resource & one I push all the time. However, it’s got its flaws. The biggest one is that it doesn’t search intelligently so basically what you put in is what it spits out. This is a problem in that the USPTO takes into consideration similarities in Sound, Appearance or Meaning.

    Here’s an example:

    Let’s say you have a clothing line you want to name Pirate Style. So you go to the USPTO & search the name and yay! There’s nothing there. However, go back and now look for Pyrate Style and you’ll see this mark has been registered since 1997 for jewelry, bags & clothing.

    Again, great article Ian & I look forward to reading more!

  3. Ian Gordon says:

    @Rob,
    The internet truly gives everyone, even the little guys, access to the Global Market Place. People will always get nervous when dealing with companies from another country though. My wife is from Toronto, and I have some experience helping some friends overcome a similar problem. I had them get a virtual voice mail number, and UPS Store mail box, in Buffalo, NY, just over the border. Instantly, you are a multi-national. When you have a US phone number and shipping address, it not only eases customer’s fears, it can make you look like a bigger company. Perhaps a road trip to a border city in Washington is in order. It doesn’t solve the preconceptions your name carries with it, but with the right marketing angle, it can make a big difference.

  4. Ian Gordon says:

    @ Shannon,
    You make an excellent point. Trademarks are especially tricky beasts and any do-it-yourself solution will have its risks and most definitely frustrations. Getting your Trademark yourself can be done, but like everything else about your business outside YOUR expertise, I recommend outsourcing it to an expert.

  5. Tom Farmer says:

    This is great stuff, thanks for putting this course together.

    My question has to do with the post above talking about using a virtual voice mail number for their business. Does anyone have a good reliable source for this? I’m thinking of using something like that for a contact number for my business, instead of listing my home phone. I’ve read a bit about Skype for business, but in looking at their community pages, they are getting slammed by their own users.
    Also, does anyone use a service for faxing? Something like where faxes sent to a specific number arrive in your email inbox & outgoing faxes are sent through your computer.

    • Ian Gordon says:

      @Thomas,
      I use Skype a lot, and unfortunately it is just not reliable enough to depend on as the number for your business.
      I recommend a company I use myself, eVoice Receptionist. You can get a local or Toll Free number, and it can forward to any other number (like your home or cell), or you can use it for voicemail. The number also receives faxes. It is smart enough to know when a call is a fax, and it comes to your email as a PDF.

      If all you need is a Voicemail/Fax number, I recommend eFax. It is a little less a month, and also knows when the call is a voice call or fax. If it is a person, they go through to your voicemail. You get the message by email. If it is a fax, you get a PDF email.

      Both of these are in my Recommended Resources, and if you use the links here or on the resources page, you get a 30 Day free trial, so you can check things out.
      Good luck!
      Ian

    • Ian Gordon says:

      Holy crap! How did I mess that one up? And how did it take this long for someone to call me on it?
      Of course you're right. Further proof that kids fry your brain. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Patrick

  7. Alex says:

    Hey Ian, I've got a question do you know if you can use a name already in use, but what also happens to be your last name, so you can use it anyway for example my last name is McDonald can i have a company name called “McDonalds Timberframe” ?

    PS: keep up the good work

  8. Sarang says:

    Thank you sir for your reply..!!!

    I am the student of B.pharm 3rd year from Aurangabad,Maharashtra,INDIA.

    Is there any requirement to complete the post graduate before starting my pharmaceutical company ?

    Before my degree i have to complete my plan.

    Is there any business plan of pharmaceutical company that you have ?

  12. preeti prakash says:

    Thank you for sharing nice tips. A well-chosen name can
    embody the benefit you offer customers and make it possible to get across an
    appealing marketing message in less space.

    Catchy business names

  17. K-love entertainment and produ says:

    Hello ian gordon i have a name for my business i just need write a business plan and start up capital and venture capital so i began running my business ok nothing else i need

  18. Joe says:

    Thanks for the tips, this was the exact thing I´ve been pondering for the past couple days. It is especially difficult because I am starting an English Institute in a Latin American country… I´m waiting for the inspiration

  20. Jeremy says:

    Thank you so much Ian, your advice is very helpful. I am a Canadian who has been living in China for over 10 years. I am about to open up a business here and have a name I wan to use. What I am wondering is about your suggestion for trademarking the business. Is this applicable to international businesses? What do you think about me, starting a business here in China that services Chinese customers, with expansion plans to North America within 5 years. Does trademarking in the US help me internationally? Or do I need to do this in each country I want to run the business in?

    Thanks for your time.

    Jeremy

    • Ian Gordon says:

      International gets a bit more complicated. You can file an international trade mark and as long as China is part of the treaty it applies. Best to check with a lawyer or at least contact a service like Legal Zoom.

  21. ALL says:

    Thank you for this article. I live in Canada and the business name i came up with is being used in UK and they have the .com domain.The business is about fitness classes. Do you see this as a problem? I also found out that somebody in US has the same words but in different order. I am not sure if it would be a good idea to keep that name. I already registered it but havent done anything yet with it. Please help!! Thanks

    • Ian Gordon says:

      In Canada, the .ca is very common and considered a primary domain. So if you are a local business, or at least geocentric to Canada, then that would work if it’s available. If you are an online “everywhere” business, then as hard as it is to find, the .com still rules. I wouldn’t worry about the same words in a different order. At least not for the domain.

      • ALL says:

        Thank you so much for the fast reply!! Since the business its about fitness classes, regarding the business name, my take is that would not be a problem. And the .ca domain is available. Thanks again!!

  22. Gaston Trussi says:

    Ian, thanks for this article. I already have a small business of sports photography named ‘vosvas’ In english it literally translates to ‘off you go’ which doesn’t sound very good in plain english but here in Argentina the name is applicable as ‘vos’ is a form of ‘you’ which is mainly used just in Argentina. The idea of ‘you go’ portrays action without it specifically relating to photography.
    Looking forward to keep learning from your posts and refining the art of starting new businesses.
    Have a great day!

  24. Mario Guzman says:

    Thank you very much for all the insight. I Especially liked the example of the Ford NOVA, being that it took me back to my early years when I lived in Mexico… We made soo much fun of that car.

  26. RH says:

    It seems that legislation on the registering of businesses in the U.S. is much more strict than here in South Africa. Here, you may start trading under any name you think of, unless its taken, from your personal bank account. If you want, you can open a business account. But there is definitely no $375 starting fee! I’m kind-of grateful for that, since I want to start small, tutoring maths. But I have big ideas for expansion.

  27. Dana Catrell says:

    thank you very much for the information provided, it truly gave me a totally different outlook on naming my business. which at first had my name in it.

  29. Joseph todd says:

    Aloha!
    I stay Maui twenty years,
    My book’s working title is “one ticket to paradise.
    My start up voice over studio’s working DBA is ” Voices Maui”
    My initials are J.E.T.T.
    My name is Joe Todd.
    Any suggestions?
    Mahalo

  33. Obot Andino says:

    Thank you Ian, really helpful… I’m about starting a little business that deals in ties, pendants, brooches, socks and probably belts later on… What are the basic necessary steps I need to take to start well and gain a large audience… I reside in Nigeria and I’m a college student. Thank you

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