Naming your business should be a thrilling step. After all, it’s the act of giving a name to your dream. It’s a sign that you’re committing to your idea and taking the massive step of making it real.
However, the process also can create feelings of anxiety and procrastination. It can seem as though there are dozens of equally viable possible names to consider. It’s not always so simple to separate the best ideas from the pack and to land on that one name that will be the best fit for you and what you do – the one that you, your team and your customers will always feel is just right.
Fryed Egg Productions has guided many businesses through the naming process, and we know how crucial the process is. We can help your business avoid common pitfalls and identify a name that you will embrace – a name that will help propel you forward as you launch your business. You’ve decided to start a business, and you’ve built a plan to ensure it succeeds. In this next piece in our series on starting a business, we take a look at the key considerations to creating a name that will resonate.
It should feel right
Your name should reflect who you are. You want it to align with your brand identity and how you perceive yourself as a business. It should also align with the type of business that you are launching and the product or service that you are offering. The name doesn’t need to offer a direct reference to your line of work, but it also cannot create a jarring sense of misdirection. You don’t want customers to feel a disconnect between the name of your business and what you are selling them. Your name isn’t just for your customers, of course. It also serves to attract the best team members and to inspire your internal team. It should be meaningful to them, a name that they’re proud to be associated with. Your business should be distinctive, and your name should be, too.
It should be practical
There can be a tendency for new businesses to gravitate toward names that are “cool” or trendy. That is a dangerous instinct to follow. For one thing, trends change, often quickly. Your name may seem to fit the zeitgeist at your founding, but it could be hopelessly outdated within a couple years. Your name certainly should reflect the times, but the goal is to be timeless – to have a name that can endure through years of future success. Be careful of an abstract name, unless you’re confident that you can bring meaning and context to that abstraction. You will want a name that customers can remember. In that vein, choose a name that is easily pronounced and spelled. You don’t want a name that customers find hard to say or type into their phones. Also, don’t pick a name that is too similar to one of your competitors. You don’t want to risk confusion. Consider all the ways that your name will be used and displayed. How will it look and feel? What impression will it leave? Consider if your name will work as you grow – will it somehow not be a good fit if you meet your goals and your business develops the way you hope it does? What will your name look like on your business card in five years? Ten years? Be careful of trying to do too much with your name – to encompass everything about your business in a word or two. Strive for simplicity and clarity. Otherwise, your name will feel inaccessible – and so will your business.
It should be vetted
The last thing you want to do is commit to a name and then find out that it carries unfortunate baggage that weighs you down. Fryed Egg has helped businesses do a comprehensive review of the connotations and potential legal issues that a name carries. Among the issues it’s necessary to check are trademarks, domain names, social media handles, associated phrases, unintended implications, underground or colloquial meanings, and what turns up with a variety of related search engine searches. Don’t select a name in a vacuum. You want to test it and vet it. You want to see what others think of it, ranging from experts to potential customers. Consider putting names through a focus group. You will be so close to the issue that you might be surprised at the reaction a name provokes in others.
At Fryed Egg, we help new and emerging organizations find their footing and discover who they are. If you want to see if Fryed Egg is the right agency for your marketing needs, contact us at (813) 478-0494 or [email protected] or visit www.fryedegg.com.