A name can literally make or break a business. It could be the leading reason a business is chosen by a customer. People are moved by emotion, and a name can really create a positive feeling within a person causing them to be drawn to a company. The name should be connected to the services provided, a descriptive character of the owner/s of the business, and/or what a customer will gain by working with the business. It’s important to make sure the name is not too long, easy to remember, and available for use. Watch this very informative You Tube video by Jonathan Bell a naming specialist with over 30 years’ experience in the field discussing, “How to Create a Great Brand Name”. This talk really gets the creative juices flowing of how a name can be more becoming memorable, and inspiring.
It’s imperative to make sure the name is free from use by another business. If a name is taken, and legally protected from being used by anyone else. There are a few online sites you should visit once you have decided on some business names. These websites will help you with finding out availability:
- United States Patent and Trademark Office at Trademark Search (uspto.gov) (United States Patent and Trademark Office, n.d.)
- Depending on your state, you can check your states Corporation Commission office. In Arizona, it is the Arizona Corporation Commission at Arizona Corporation Commission (azcc.gov)
- You should take the time to use the online search engine Google at www.google.com to search the name.
Once you have chosen a name that is available to use you need to check if the social media sites have your business name available to use as a username. This is the site I like to check allowing me to save time by searching multiple social media sites at one time. There is no reason to spend too much time on this if you are only going to work on one platform. Depending on the final report on Name Checkr, you may find that you want to change or alter your business name. You can connect with Name Checkr at Name Checkr (www.namecheckr.com) After the final decision is made, I will create a generic email to start setting up my business with the proper government entities, and social
media sites. This is a good foundation for making a name for yourself on Social Media.
TED Archive. (2016, December 14). How to create a great brand name | Jonathan Bell [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzbXht7MJVM
