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Why Your Business Name Matters

You might be thinking, well, of course the name of my business matters. But are there any of us who have not heard a business name and wondered, what in the world were those people thinking?

We all know that it’s a long road to take the concept of a product or service to a full-fledged business (no matter how big or small). Brand names are a big deal. Think of some everyday products that we use. Things like Kleenex, Coke, and Band-Aid are brand names that people now refer to even when they are talking about the same product that’s made by another brand or is generic. Do you automatically trust brands that you don’t recognize? Probably not. But trusted brands have a loyal following, and you definitely want your business to have a name that people trust.

Here are a few things to do and consider before you decide on a name for your business:

How web-ready is it? – It’s getting harder and harder to find website URLs that are not already taken. If your business has a longer name, you might be able to find it as the typical .com, but if the name is shorter, you might have to choose an alternate URL. Also take the time to search Facebook and Twitter to see if your potential business name is already in use by an unrelated group or person on social media.

Does your name describe your business in a nutshell? – While yes, it’s probably not always possible to sum up what exactly your business is in just a few words, you can still get your meaning across. Choose a name that means something to you and your customers.

Is anyone else using your name? – While it might seem obvious, it’s so important to do a thorough search to find out if your potential business name is already taken. At the bare minimum, you’ll want to conduct a search that looks for trademarks and copyrights. You’ll can also do a business search to look for companies with the same or similar names. Doing these types of searches on the front end can save you a lot of hassle later on. We talked above about brand recognition; can you imagine anything worse than having to change your business name after it’s already been established?

Naming your business can be a tough proposition. Make sure that you think it through thoroughly and get feedback from your potential customers and employees.

Published: February 12, 2014
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Megan Totka

Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources and business news. Megan has several years of experience on the topics of small business marketing, copywriting, SEO, online conversions and social media. Megan spends much of her time establishing new relationships for ChamberofCommerce.com, publishing weekly newsletters educating small business on the importance of web presence, and contributing to a number of publications on the web. Megan can be reached at megan@chamberofcommerce.com.