Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Lists potential business names
• Part 2 of 3: Review names from the list
• Part 3 of 3: Trademark your name
• Tips
• Warnings

Have a great artisan waffle cart concept, but have no idea what name you will be giving the business? Increase your chances of commercial success and getting your business off to a great start by following these simple tips to choose a great name for your business.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Lists potential business names

1. Present yourself as a brand. Before you come up with a name for your business, you need to know what your niche is. Define your goals in your business plan and mission statement. A software company could emphasize the quality and simplicity of its products (such as "Apple") while an accounting firm could emphasize the accuracy of its services.
2. Pay attention to your target audience. You need to have a good understanding of who your potential customers are and what they want. If your target audience is wealthy, you may want to have a name that caters to their upscale tastes. If your target audience is working moms who don't have time to keep the house clean, you can choose a name that either fits their busy schedule, their desire for cleanliness and order, or both.
3. Make lists of words that convey the desired characteristics of a product. In one column you indicate the qualities that you want to convey to your customers. So what you do. In another column, put things you think your customers are looking for. Use nouns, adjectives and verbs as possibilities.
   • Come up with a wide variety of words specific to your business. For example, "Rover" is an idea if you plan to start a dog walking business, while "Persimmon" could be a good name for a Lebanese restaurant.
   • Consult a dictionary to look up definitions of the words you choose and a thesaurus of words and phrases. You can also use software that allows you to brainstorm.
4. Try a simple one-word name. Trendy luxury restaurants often have short, witty names that emphasize simplicity and quality, such as `` Fig '' or `` Party. '' Likewise, `` Timberland '' is a brand of shoe specializing in work boots and the simple, grounded name is a good reflection of their product, while 'Tom's' emphasizes the personal, human attitude.
5. Come up with a few simple adjectives. "Black Cyprus" or "North Face" are both evocative and versatile. A noun and an adjective are sufficient for both simplicity and accuracy, as with the name "Urban Outfits" or "American Apparel."
   • For an English name, you can use a sentence with a gerund. A gerund is just an "-ing" word. This quickly gives your company an active and fun look, a place with a welcoming atmosphere: "Laughing Planet" is a chain of organic burritos, while "Turning Leaf" is a wine producer.
6. Use a proper name. Using someone's real name as your business name is a great way to give it a personal touch, even if it's not a real person. McDonald's was not founded by someone named "McDonald," while Papa John's pizza chain is owned by someone named "John"
7. Create a new word. A porte-manteau is a word made up of two words, such as "KitchenAid" "Microsoft" or "RedBox." This adds an experimental touch to your business and makes it sound fresh and contemporary. You basically invent a word, so this makes sense for entrepreneurs.
8. Play with words. A few simple literal sounds can make your company name easier to remember:
   • Repeating the first sounds of words (alliteration) responds to both appearance and sound, in company names such as 'Papyrus Press', 'K-Dee's Coffee', 'Govers Sound.' Similar to this is assonance, which plays with the rhyming of vowels. "Blue Moon Pools" is an example of assonance.
   • Rhymes (correct or not) can make a memorable business name. "The single throw" can be useful for a theater or a fishing tackle shop.
   • Playing with an everyday saying is another way to come up with a memorable company name. A bar called "Liquid Courage" or a coffee shop with a name like "Common Grounds" takes advantage of this. The risk of choosing a corny or clichéd name is present with this technique, but try to give your list as many names as possible to work with. You can always omit names later.
   • It can also be successful to refer to a historical, literary or mythological name. After all, "Starbucks" is named after a character from Moby-Dick.

Part 2 of 3: Review names from the list

1. Look for a short name that is easy to spell and pronounce. Shorter names are easier to remember than longer ones. The Texas Oil Company shortened its name to Texaco, and it is hard to imagine that "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" would have been so successful had she not decided to use the shorter "Yahoo".
   • Even if you use words that are made up or use creative spelling, you need to make sure that they make sense somewhere for the product or service. Despite their texting language, "U-Haul" and "Flickr" work because they are accurate names for the company, not because they are spelled strangely. Naming your salon as "D" Fresh Tea "is too complicated to be understood quickly.
2. Keep it universal. It may seem like the best idea in the world to name your construction company "Daedalus Construction Works" because you have knowledge of Greek mythology, but at the risk of alienating your customers because they don't understand the name.
   • Now is the time when it is important to know who your target audience is: a comic book store called 'Jim Gordon' may appeal to Batman connoisseurs, while it doesn't mean anything to the average reader, although the average isn't usually quick to go to a comic book store anyway. shall go. Consider this a compromise. Top restaurants in expensive neighborhoods can get away with a French name for their restaurant, but this can be a bad idea in other neighborhoods, where your clientele may feel excluded or not insider.
3. Avoid clichés. Too often an adjective is unhappily attached to a noun, and a terrible company name is born, such as QualiTrade or NedBank. Names like these lack personality and your company will not stand out clearly in a market saturated with similar business names.
   • If your company name has Ned, Tech, Corp or Tron as a prefix or suffix, you might want to choose a different, less used name.
4. Choose names that can work anywhere. Geographically specific business names restrict your business in a particular niche, so you will have to change the name as it outgrows that niche. "Utrecht Plumbers" will work for a company in the Utrecht area, but will not be successful in obtaining assignments abroad. "Kentucky Fried Chicken" has officially changed its name to "KFC" for this reason.
5. Choose the most suitable name. Everyone called Bob Dylan's backing band "The Band". At one point it stuck and they became "The Band" forever. If everyone calls your copy shop "Main Street Copyshop", don't change it to "The Greatest Copy Shop" just because you didn't think the name was exciting enough. Ultimately, your product or service is the most important, and the name is just the packaging. If the company already has a name that works, don't change it.
   • Also know when you have chosen a name that does not work. Then take the risk of changing it. Even if you have already ordered badges with "DMGK is the best" for all employees, go for it and choose the name that works.

Part 3 of 3: Trademark your name

1. Make sure no one else in your industry trademarks the name you are considering. Once you have a list of favorites, make sure no one else trademarks any of them. There are several tools you can use to check this.
   • If you want to enter the US market, the US Patent and Trademark Office has a public search at its Alexandria, Virginia office, as well as patent and trademark libraries. The most convenient way to search is through the free online trademark search system. You can then enter a trademark registration or serial number in the trademark registry database to find out if the trademark is currently registered or has expired.
   • In the U.S. some states have their own trademark registries, usually maintained by the government. Other states maintain databases of fictitious names and business names used by businesses, either by state or by county. Consult with your local government office to find out how to access those databases.
   • The Thomas Register maintains lists of company names and registered trade and service marks, as well as unregistered marks. It is available online.
2. Prepare the necessary materials. It's more than just a name you'll be registering - it's your entire concept and business model. You will have to provide a clear representation of what you want to register. If you want to register a word, slogan, design or combination of these things as a trademark, you will need to be able to file a "basis", which is essentially why a trademark is necessary for your business.
   • A trademark and a service mark are distinguished from each other because they provide a product (brand) or a service (service mark) respectively.
3. Apply for a trademark for your business. Complete the application online, pay the necessary fees and keep track of your application. You can consult a trademark attorney to make sure you don't miss anything.

Tips

• When choosing a business name, choose one that you believe in. If you don't find the name attractive, you will not be motivated to do the necessary marketing and promotion, and make your business and its name attractive to others.
• You may still be able to use a company name that is already in use, if you are using the name for a different type of business, or if your business operates in a different geographic market than its eponymous company. You should consult with a trademark attorney before proceeding with a name that you are unsure whether to use.

Warnings

• Do not use "BV or NV" or "INC" as part of your company name, unless your company is actually included in the trademark register. Some companies may try to get around this using the similar-sounding words, but this will still sound like the company is a trademark when it actually isn't.