You took the time to write a business plan for your startup. But before you can proceed any further, you need to name your startup company. Just make sure it’s easy to spell. Make sure that when you say it out loud, it doesn’t get confused with other words. Ask for feedback You don’t have to struggle alone naming your company. Research social media profiles This is similar to your domain name search. If your name is available on all social media platforms except for one, reach out to the user and see whether you can purchase it from them, or consider coming up with a new name. How will this brand name fit with your campaigns? Search the Secretary of State records Once you come up with a name, you’ll need to register your new business. Go with it if: all the pieces line up the domain is available nobody has the social media handles the feedback is good you’re able to trademark it.
So you’ve got a great idea for a new business.
You took the time to write a business plan for your startup. After long and grueling months of conducting market research, coming up with prototypes, and analyzing your competition, you’re finally ready to turn this plan into a profitable business.
You even came up with a plan to raise the funds to get your company off the ground.
But before you can proceed any further, you need to name your startup company.
You may have had an idea or two. But how do you know if that name will work?
Naming your startup may seem minor, but it’s actually one of the most important and undervalued aspects of your business. This name will be attached to your brand image for years to come. You need to get it right from the beginning.
Otherwise, you’ll face some challenges if you try to change your name down the road. That’s a headache you won’t want to deal with.
With this in mind, I wanted to show you how you can simplify this process. These are the top 16 tips to keep in mind when you’re naming your startup.
Use this guide as a reference before you finalize your name.
1. Keep it short
The name of your business should roll off the tongue.
People shouldn’t have to take a breath midway through saying your name out loud. Just think about some of the brands that dominate worldwide.
Nike. Apple. Walmart.
I found a really interesting study conducted by a UK insurance broker. They discovered that the average length of a company name in their region had 22 characters.
While these are obviously longer than names such as Apple or Nike, they still fall within the lower end of the spectrum, as you can see from the graph.
Your business shouldn’t sound like a sentence. Sure, in some instances, two words might be appropriate. I’m talking about names such as Waffle House or even Quick Sprout. Ha! But both of these names are still short and roll off the tongue.
Most importantly, keeping your name short will make it easier for consumers to remember it, which will help you tremendously with your marketing campaigns.
2. Make sure it’s easy to spell
Put yourself into the minds of consumers.
Let’s says they hear your brand name somewhere. Whether it’s on TV, the radio, or in a conversation. Next, they search for it online, but can’t find you because they don’t know the spelling – it’s too complicated.
Stick with names that are spelled exactly how they sound.
Even if they see your oddly spelled brand name written somewhere, they may not remember how to spell it when they look for it.
Don’t do anything weird, like using the number 8 to replace the “ate” sound or use the letter “Z” in a place where you should have an “S.”
3. Don’t restrict growth
Right now, your startup may be focusing on something specific, whether it’s a product, location, or target market.
But that doesn’t mean you should name your business something extremely specific.
For example, let’s say you’re creating a fashion brand selling men’s jeans. Naming your company “Jeans for Men” is a bad idea.
What happens when you want to start making shirts, shorts, hats, or women’s clothing? The new directions no longer fits with your name.
Or let’s say you name the startup based on the location of your first physical store. You may be thinking something along the lines of “Tuxedo Shop of Seattle.” But when you want to open a new location in Chicago or San Diego, you’ll be faced with a challenge.
Instead, name it after something like a street if you want to have some connection to your local area. Just make sure it’s easy to spell.
4. Check the domain name
So you think you’re ready to settle on a name.
Next, use an online tool, such as GoDaddy to see if the domain is available:
I see businesses make this mistake often. A company settles on a name, but someone already has the .com domain. So instead of trying to purchase it, they decide to use another extension, such as .net, .biz, or .org, instead.
I don’t recommend that. Consumers have grown accustomed to associating .com domains with credible and established businesses.
But that also doesn’t mean you…
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