10 Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Your Business
What shouldn’t you do when naming your startup?
Choosing
your new startup name is the most important first step on your way to a
strong brand and gaining traction. Take the time to do this right, so
you don’t have to rebrand later. There’s no time for amateur hour when
your business is at stake! Here are the most common business naming
errors, blunders, and mistakes a new startup founder can make.
Read: Why entrepreneurs failed their business?
We
know that you’re excited to get your name out with a new logo and
website, but please, take your time. It can be pretty easy to go with
the first thing that pops into your head, but often, that’s not the
best. And there are some services out there on the internet world where
you can pick a fancy-sounding name, complete with its own logo and
registered domain, but if it doesn’t “say” who you are, you’ll just be
wasting your money.
Also read: 10 Stupid Mistakes Entrepreneurs Are Still Making
The
best place to start is writing a list of possible names for your
startup. If you find yourself with one or two names that you love, force
yourself to come up with a lot more to make sure that you aren’t
missing something. Plus, you’ll probably be crossing most off your list
as you continue reading.
Once
upon a time when everyone advertised in the yellow pages of a
phonebook, many advertisers would try to come up with a name that
started with an “A” so that their business would be listed first. That’s
not how things work anymore.
Some
founders, and you know who they are, think they’re really clever to
create a business name that sounds like another business. Not only is it
tacky, but it will also confuse your customers. This also goes for
logos like look another company’s logo. Copying might be the biggest
form of flattery, but it is a terrible business practice. Fictional
examples might include:
IHOW or International House of Waffles, Lazy Girl, Dairy King, Sports Cuts.
Also read: 10 Common Entrepreneurial Mistakes To Avoid
Hopefully
you already know how to spell the name of your startup, so what we’re
talking about here is something a bit different. For instance, If
someone told you that they bought the best new children’s game at Toys R
Us, but you never heard of the store before, you might do search for
“Toys Are Us.” You would still find what you are looking for, but you
might wonder if “toysrus.com” was the right site you were looking for.
Nobody plans to do a Google search using misspelled words on purpose.
Sometimes
a name might roll off your tongue in a very exquisite way, but if
others can’t understand it or even pronounce the name, you might want to
think again. And sometimes an unusual name can work wonders for a
creative company, but chances are, you just want to sell your gadgets
and gizmos. An example might be K-Mart. We are all familiar with the
store today, but can you imagine what it was like when the company first
opened its doors? What does K-Mart even mean?
Remember, the less descriptive your name, the more effort it takes you
to get people to understand it. This means you’ll spend more time and
Marketing dollars, so simple is better
So, if you think that you’ve settled on Bob’s Bakery and your website is to be called BobsBakery.com, you’ll want to check and see if that domain name is available.
One of the plusses of the internet is that no two businesses can have
the same domain name, but if the name you want is already taken, then
you’ll have to come up with something else. In this case, Bob might want
to change his company name to Bob’s Bakery Bliss. Also, don’t wait
until the end of the process to see if your name is available or chances
are you’ll have to start all over again.
How’s
this for a name: “Microsoft Windows Server Base Operating Systems
Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005.” On the plus
side, we have a pretty good idea what this product is. On the minus
side, we’ll never remember the name. Ever. Short and sweet still rules.
Also read: 10 Tips for Choosing The Best Name For Your Company
Innocent sounding business names can be ruined when websites are created for them. For instance:
“Choose Spain” becomes “choosespain.com” (Chooses Pain?)
“PJ’s Limo” becomes “pjslimo.com” (PJ Slimo?)
“Dog Grooming” becomes “doggrooming.com” (Dogg Rooming?)
While
it is always a good idea to narrow down your business name to something
simple so that others know exactly what you’re selling, it is possible
be too descriptive. For example, the Dollar Shave Club sells inexpensive
razors. They might sell other things as well, but we aren’t aware of
them. Harry’s has a similar business, but they offer a premium bathroom
brand. Yes, the name is somewhat vague, but in the long run, it works
for them. Staples has a great name in that know right off the bat that
they are an office supply store and while we can be pretty sure that
we’ll find staples for our stapler, we know that we will also find many
other “office staples” as well.
Just
because your business, Tony’s Tulips in Tulalip, is the only
tulip-selling store in Tulalip, you won’t be doing yourself any favors
when it comes to the internet. You can reach anyone everywhere on the
planet, but if you include “Tulalip” in your name, folks in Tennessee
might skip you altogether.
If
you can narrow your choices down to two or three, it might be a good
idea to ask your friends and family which name resonates with them. You
could have an idea to sell donut holes and call your business The Hole
in the Wall, but if your friends can’t catch the vision, chances are,
your potential customers won’t either.
Choosing
your new startup name is the most important first step on your way to a
strong brand and gaining traction. Take the time to do this right, so
you don’t have to rebrand later. There’s no time for amateur hour when
your business is at stake! Here are the most common business naming
errors, blunders, and mistakes a new startup founder can make.
Read: Why entrepreneurs failed their business?
Rushing the process
We
know that you’re excited to get your name out with a new logo and
website, but please, take your time. It can be pretty easy to go with
the first thing that pops into your head, but often, that’s not the
best. And there are some services out there on the internet world where
you can pick a fancy-sounding name, complete with its own logo and
registered domain, but if it doesn’t “say” who you are, you’ll just be
wasting your money.
Also read: 10 Stupid Mistakes Entrepreneurs Are Still Making
Not enough ideas
The
best place to start is writing a list of possible names for your
startup. If you find yourself with one or two names that you love, force
yourself to come up with a lot more to make sure that you aren’t
missing something. Plus, you’ll probably be crossing most off your list
as you continue reading.
Going Old School
Once
upon a time when everyone advertised in the yellow pages of a
phonebook, many advertisers would try to come up with a name that
started with an “A” so that their business would be listed first. That’s
not how things work anymore.
Being a Copycat
Some
founders, and you know who they are, think they’re really clever to
create a business name that sounds like another business. Not only is it
tacky, but it will also confuse your customers. This also goes for
logos like look another company’s logo. Copying might be the biggest
form of flattery, but it is a terrible business practice. Fictional
examples might include:
IHOW or International House of Waffles, Lazy Girl, Dairy King, Sports Cuts.
Also read: 10 Common Entrepreneurial Mistakes To Avoid
Ignoring Spell Check
Hopefully
you already know how to spell the name of your startup, so what we’re
talking about here is something a bit different. For instance, If
someone told you that they bought the best new children’s game at Toys R
Us, but you never heard of the store before, you might do search for
“Toys Are Us.” You would still find what you are looking for, but you
might wonder if “toysrus.com” was the right site you were looking for.
Nobody plans to do a Google search using misspelled words on purpose.
Gibberish
Sometimes
a name might roll off your tongue in a very exquisite way, but if
others can’t understand it or even pronounce the name, you might want to
think again. And sometimes an unusual name can work wonders for a
creative company, but chances are, you just want to sell your gadgets
and gizmos. An example might be K-Mart. We are all familiar with the
store today, but can you imagine what it was like when the company first
opened its doors? What does K-Mart even mean?
Remember, the less descriptive your name, the more effort it takes you
to get people to understand it. This means you’ll spend more time and
Marketing dollars, so simple is better
Domain’s taken
So, if you think that you’ve settled on Bob’s Bakery and your website is to be called BobsBakery.com, you’ll want to check and see if that domain name is available.
One of the plusses of the internet is that no two businesses can have
the same domain name, but if the name you want is already taken, then
you’ll have to come up with something else. In this case, Bob might want
to change his company name to Bob’s Bakery Bliss. Also, don’t wait
until the end of the process to see if your name is available or chances
are you’ll have to start all over again.
Being Loooooooong Winded
How’s
this for a name: “Microsoft Windows Server Base Operating Systems
Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005.” On the plus
side, we have a pretty good idea what this product is. On the minus
side, we’ll never remember the name. Ever. Short and sweet still rules.
Also read: 10 Tips for Choosing The Best Name For Your Company
Being Awkward
Innocent sounding business names can be ruined when websites are created for them. For instance:
“Choose Spain” becomes “choosespain.com” (Chooses Pain?)
“PJ’s Limo” becomes “pjslimo.com” (PJ Slimo?)
“Dog Grooming” becomes “doggrooming.com” (Dogg Rooming?)
No Room to Grow
While
it is always a good idea to narrow down your business name to something
simple so that others know exactly what you’re selling, it is possible
be too descriptive. For example, the Dollar Shave Club sells inexpensive
razors. They might sell other things as well, but we aren’t aware of
them. Harry’s has a similar business, but they offer a premium bathroom
brand. Yes, the name is somewhat vague, but in the long run, it works
for them. Staples has a great name in that know right off the bat that
they are an office supply store and while we can be pretty sure that
we’ll find staples for our stapler, we know that we will also find many
other “office staples” as well.
Too Close to Home
Just
because your business, Tony’s Tulips in Tulalip, is the only
tulip-selling store in Tulalip, you won’t be doing yourself any favors
when it comes to the internet. You can reach anyone everywhere on the
planet, but if you include “Tulalip” in your name, folks in Tennessee
might skip you altogether.
No Test Run
If
you can narrow your choices down to two or three, it might be a good
idea to ask your friends and family which name resonates with them. You
could have an idea to sell donut holes and call your business The Hole
in the Wall, but if your friends can’t catch the vision, chances are,
your potential customers won’t either.
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