WHAT'S IN A NAME... SELECTING THE RIGHT BUSINESS NAME
by James Capobianco


With all that's been written lately about the new 67 characters
allowed for domain names, I thought I would address the *art* of
selecting a name for your business. It's by no means an easy task
or one that should be taken lightly. So here we go.

Ask 500 people, already in business, how they decided upon their
business name and you will get 500 different answers. Everyone
has a story behind how they chose their business name. Even if
the business is named after their own birth name, there's
probably a reason why this was done.

When you open a business, in a sense, you are giving birth. This
new birth was created from an idea by you or your associates. It
will have its own bank account, it's own federal identification
number, it's own credit accounts, it's own income and it's own
bills. On paper, it is another individual! Just as if you were
choosing a name for an unborn child, you need to spend
considerable time in deciding upon your business name.

There are several reasons why a good business name is vitally
important to your business. The first obvious reason is because
it is the initial identification to your customers. No one would
want to do business with someone if they didn't have a company
name yet. This makes you look like an amateur who is very
unreliable. Even if you call your company "Bill's Lawn Service,"
a company name has been established and you are indeed a company.
People will therefore feel more comfortable dealing with you.

Secondly, a business name normally is an indication as to the
product or service you offer. "Joan's Typing Service", "Karate
Club for Men", "Jim-Dandy Jack-of-all-Trades", "Main Street
Laundry", "Misty's Gift Boutique" and "Star Publishers" are
all examples of simple business names that immediately tell the
customer what product you offer.

However, most people will choose the simple approach when naming
their business. They use their name, their spouse's name, their
children's names or a combination of these names when naming a
business. The national hamburger-restaurant chain "Wendy's" was
named after the founder's daughter. Although, research has
proven that these "cutesy" names are not the best names to use
for a business. Many experts claim that it makes the business
look too "mom-and-pop-sie." But this depends on the business. If
you are selling something that demands this mood or theme to
appeal to your market, it's okay to use this approach.

Names like, "Sensible Solutions," "Direct Defenders,"
"Moonlighters Ink," "Printer's Friend," "Strictly Class,"
"Collections and Treasures," and "Starlight on Twilight" are all
good examples of catchy names. These types of names relate to
your product or service but serve as a type of slogan for your
business. This is a big help when marketing.

When you name a child, you may not decide upon a definite name
until after they are born. The nursery is loaded with "Boy" Smith
and "Girl" Jones name tags. You do this because a name is
sometimes associated with a type of personality. Somehow, I don't
think Tarzan and Jane got the message,"Boy"? (dah!) When you name
a business you may need to wait until you have a product or
service to sell and then decide upon a business name before going
into the business itself because your business name should give
some clue as to what product or service you are selling. A
business named "Joe's Collections" normally wouldn't sell car
parts and a business named "Charlie Horse" would not sell
knitting supplies.

To generate ideas - begin looking at business signs everywhere
you go. Notice which ones catch your eye and stick in your mind.
Try and figure out "why" they stuck in your mind. Naturally, the
business "Dominos Pizza" sticks in your mind because it is
nationally known. These don't count! Look around and notice the
smaller businesses. Take your time. Within a few days you should
be able to come up with a few potential business names.

Then, when you finally find a few names you really like - try
reciting them to other people and get their opinion. It won't be
long until your business will have the proper name that will
carry it through its life!

A final thought. Are they kidding, 67 character domain names?
VeryLongBusinessNamesThatAreHardToRemember.com (and enter without
a typo)?, well maybe it's just me; but what happened to KISS
(Keep It Simple Stupid)?

Oh! Why *Cap-Tech*? I thought it was catchy :-) As for becoming a
household word...Maybe???


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About the author:

James Capobianco has been self employed for over 25 years, both
on and offline. At his web site, Cap-Tech.com, he shares his
experience and expertise when it comes to owning your own
business. Come pay a visit at < http://www.cap-tech.com >