Laura Messerschmitt

Intuit Product Manager
San Carlos, California

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Winning the Name Game

How to pick the right name for your business.

Written Apr 09, 2008, read 874 times since then.

Have you toyed with different ideas for your business name? Of course you have. For one thing, it's a fun way of getting closer toward making your entrepreneurial dream a reality. Plus, the name you give your business will represent every product or service you offer. Not only that, but it will probably appear in a number of places: business cards, signs - even hats and T-shirts.

So get out a pen and a pad of paper to use as your naming notebook, and start writing down ideas for names. Be sure to ask friends and family what they think of your ideas. Be sure to put yourself in the shoes of your customers. What do you think will appeal to them? And as you go along, think about our guide to naming, which you'll find below.

Ask yourself key questions about the names you like

The name you choose affects how other people will see your business, which is why some names will reveal themselves as being more appropriate than others. As you go through name possibilities, ask yourself these questions about the names you're considering:

Are they distinctive and memorable? This doesn't mean that descriptive business names like "Emma's Secondhand Pastries" or "Tahoe Bowling Ball Repair" can't be used. If you're providing a service that's unique to a particular area, a descriptive name may work just fine.
Are they easily spelled and pronounced? This is something many business owners don't think about. If you try to be too clever here, you may outsmart customers and keep them from finding you in the Yellow Pages and on the Internet.
Do they suggest the products and services you offer? Everyone knows what Nike and McDonald's provide, but once upon a time these companies included phrases like "running shoes" and "hamburgers" after their business names.
Will they distinguish you from the competition? Do the businesses competing with yours have similar names? Surprisingly, this happens a lot. You'll do yourself a big favor if you can decide on name possibilities that will make your business seem like a lone red rose standing in a yard filled with mud.
Do they have the potential to be appropriate for new products and services you may offer later on? Think of names that will give you some growing room, even if it's just within the area you will do business.
What works - or doesn't work - for other businesses in your field? Maybe your competitors have silly names, but then again, maybe not. Take a look and see what seems to attract customers.

Different kinds of names have different kinds of impact

Essentially, there are five different kinds of business names, each with advantages and disadvantages. No single kind of business name is better or worse than others, it just depends on how you want people to see your company.

Descriptive names get the point across - but can be limiting. For example, names like Toys R Us, Southwest Airlines, and Jim's Tank Parts. These names immediately let everyone know what kind of businesses these companies are.

There are three main disadvantages to these names. First, they may not be memorable. Secondly, they can sometimes be easily confused with other businesses. Thirdly, what happens if the owner of Jim's Tank Parts decides to expand into something unrelated to the original business concept - like interior design? If you decide to be descriptive, do so when you're pretty sure you're going to concentrate on one kind of business for a long time.

Geographic names put your company on the map- but may get in the way of expansion. Geographic names like "Lakeville Lint Extraction" or "Syracuse Zoo Cleaning Services" are great ways to let customers know where a particular business is located. Plus, this can give the impression that a company is the best at what it does in its location.

But like descriptive names, using geographic terms can be limiting for a business. Suppose Syracuse Zoo Cleaning Services opens up offices in nearby cities like Rochester, Utica, and Watertown. A customer flipping through the Yellow Pages in one of these cities can't be faulted for concluding that Syracuse Zoo Cleaning Services is too far away for consideration - even if the company has offices in these places.

Suggestive names can capture the essence of a business - if done right. Many successful business names aren't completely descriptive but rather suggest the benefits of using a particular company. A name like "A Breath of Fresh Air" could be used for a retail store specializing in soaps and scented candles - just as it could be used for a company that issues bail bonds or another that provides septic tank pumping services.

Potential problems for these kinds of names? Some businesses forget that these names really need to suggest something appropriate - whether it is a service, product, or benefit. For example, a name like "Slow Burn" might work for a restaurant specializing in barbecued dishes, but probably wouldn't be appropriate for a store that sells stationery. Plus, with a less descriptive name, you'll need to think carefully about your tag line, such as in "Blue Sky Consultants-unlimited creativity for special events and corporate functions."

Names with combined words can also get the point across - if it's the right combination. The name of a company that plants lawns might call itself "FasTurf." But sometimes businesses make the mistake of combining words in a way that make the company name sound, well, phony - or even worse, like a problem. That's why the owner of a cleaning supply business would be advised to shy away from a name like "InSolvent."

Imaginative or fanciful names can make a business stand out - hopefully for the right reasons. It's not always necessary to have a name that is either descriptive or suggestive. For example, "Acura" is a made-up word, but it makes you think of other words, like "accuracy." Then there are names like "Kodak," which doesn't sound like anything related to photography, but stands out.

The problem with these names is the potential to end up with one that sounds goofy. Try to avoid names that sound strange or are just too obscure. Sure, you might know that Andhrímnir was the mythical chef for the Norse gods, but that doesn't mean this odd name is appropriate for your catering business.]

Don't skimp on the name possibilities - and get honest advice

Fill up several pages of your naming notebook, and remind yourself that every naming idea, no matter how silly, may lead to something great. So don't censor yourself. But do be sure to get honest feedback from friends and family. After all, you want to make sure your business name rings true with as many people as possible.

Article from www.jump.com: JumpUp is a free website and community from Intuit that helps new businesses get up and running successfully

Learn more about the author, Laura Messerschmitt.

Comment on this article

Posted by Lori Osterberg, Greenwood Village, Colorado | Apr 09, 2008

Great information for the start up business. A number of years ago I owned a photography studio, and we used our city in part of the graphic. As we were growing, we decided to rebrand ourselves, and changed it to Worldwide Imagery. It was amazing. In a short timeframe, we went from being a local studio to one that traveled anywhere - we appeared like a large business. Your name really does matter.
Posted by David Anderson, Jamestown, New York | Apr 09, 2008

Another important consideration is how you make the name relate to the web. Depending on your business model, you might want to start there (web) with available name searches and then build your brand off of that. As Laura suggests, avoid the pitfalls of weird spellings, and especially hyphens with the dot-com names. And yes, .com is still tops with a name if you can get it!
Posted by Dan McComb, Seattle, Washington | Apr 09, 2008

Another great naming resource is The Name Inspector. It's a blog in which Ph.D linguist Christopher Johnson examines business names under the microscope of his intellect and humor, which are considerable. I've met him (and even talked him into hosting a workshop at BizJam last year) and I gotta say, his blog is required reading for anyone naming a business.

Biznik Business Networking
Posted by Kare Anderson, Sausalito, California | Apr 10, 2008

Laura,

What a helpful and fun article! I will link to your article in my Say it Better blog.

As a former journalist and lover of words I've had a fascinating with naming and branding.

Right here in my village of Sausalito are two naming firms: Igor http://www.igorinternational.com/clients/igor-client-list.php and Lexicon Branding http://www.lexiconbranding.com

Also, a few years ago I discovered one way to avoid jargon, with the Bullfighter." Seehttp://www.fightthebull.com/bullfighter.asp

Relatedly, the slogans and mottos that cities, regions, states and countries "put" on thir product are endlessly interesting and often laugh out loud funny.

For example, (up close to the strong Seattle Biznik community) the state of Oregon once had a motto crafted by a well-known ad agency in that state (I will leave unnamed here): "Things look different here."

Sometimes there's no room for parody, eh?

And congrats on being apart of the Biznik community where Intuit is now a partner. I spoke at the Intuit meeting for all your HR folks a couple of years ago and was impressed with the high level of team spirit and ingenuity evident among the people there.

On April 25 we (movingfrommetowe.com) will publish an idea-packed podcast interview with Dan, Biznik co-founder

Kare
Posted by LM Earl, Marietta, Georgia | Apr 10, 2008

I found the information provided to be straight out of a Marketing 101 textbook. While it's good to have the reminder, it's hardly new or earthshattering information.
Posted by Danny Bronski, Seattle, Washington | Apr 10, 2008

LM, you sure have tough standards! As someone who spends a good chunk of my professional life resolving expensive disputes borne of poor naming choices (I am a trademark attorney), I believe that most small businesses really need to brush up on naming 101, and I thought Laura's article was full of useful information, including some subtle points surely well beyond the "marketing 101" stage.

If you believe that this is in any way "common sense", it' much more common for businesses to businesses to hit one of the pitfalls mentioned above than to avoid them.

Danny Bronski/IP Lawyer
Posted by Laura Messerschmitt, San Carlos, California | Apr 10, 2008

At Intuit, we do encounter a lot of businesses who struggle with the naming thing... and also who later regret their choice. Glad the article was helpful.
Posted by Chad Upton, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Apr 12, 2008

Always run your company name by a professional, especially if you are new to the culture where your business will be, or writing is not one of your strengths.

For example: I love Thai food, but trying to spell, pronounce and even remember the name of this one restaurant consistently eluded me when trying to find their phone number for takeout orders. Finally, I got their website URL and bookmarked it: http://www.phobenthanh.com/ I like how the name is authentic, but if your customers can't find you in the phone book then you've got a problem.

Also, make sure your name makes sense! I know of these two business that have similar names: "Just Transmissions and More" and "Just Nails Plus".
Posted by Kare Anderson, Sausalito, California | Apr 12, 2008

L You inspired me to write a follow-up post on this topic - and I learned alot in so doing. Others might too. See http://sayitbetter.typepad.com/say_it_better/2008/04/the-art-of-nami.html

My dear friend and poet Paul Gefner, here in the S.F. area named his chicken-to-go outlets "Poultry In Motion" and a non-profit blood bank ran billboard ads as take-offs of the million dollar ad campaign, "Got milk?" Their version: "Got blood?"
Posted by Norbert Mayer-Wittmann, Old Greenwich, Connecticut | Apr 15, 2008

On the web, a name longer than 6 chars is rather run-of-the-mill -- longer than 8 chars, and I'd say it's almost destined to become a failure (perhaps there are exceptions -- but those would, I guess, primarily validate that the "rule").

(just my .02)
Posted by Carol Skolnick, Santa Cruz, California | Apr 24, 2008

Suggestion: Hire a professional namer (like me! It's my sideline) to create a name for you. Even if you have copywriting skills, it's hard to have objectivity about something that is so close to the heart.
Posted by Norbert Mayer-Wittmann, Old Greenwich, Connecticut | Apr 25, 2008

Well, I too "understand" how to name things (;D), but I cannot give any kind of legal advice regarding trademarks. Also, I generally focus on search terms (dictionary words) rather than "names" per se.

Here's an interesting podcast of a SWSX panel discussion that I just posted at digg.com (might be good to listen to for some ideas):

2008 SXSW Interactive Podcast Logos Why They re Irrelevant
Posted by Dan McComb, Seattle, Washington | Apr 25, 2008

Norbert, I agree with you that short is better, but there are plenty of exceptions. So many, in fact, that I think it's hard to even call it a "rule." For example: craigslist.org, plentyoffish.com (which currently makes 10 million a year in ad revenue from Google ads), YouTube is currently the 3rd most popular site on the net and it's got 7 letters. Then there's MySpace, Facebook, the list goes on...

Biznik Business Networking
Posted by Christopher Johnson, Seattle, Washington | Jul 15, 2008

More long names: Wikipedia (9 letters, currently the 7th most popular site on Alexa), ICanHasCheezburger (18 letters, currently the #8 blog by authority on Technorati). This six-letter "rule" gets repeated again and again--I'd like to find out how it got started. Any clues, Norbert?

What's really important is that a name be vivid, relevant, memorable, and easy to pronounce. Being short helps with that.
Posted by Norbert Mayer-Wittmann, Old Greenwich, Connecticut | Jul 16, 2008

It's not a rule -- just an observation: I recall a statistic that more than half of the terms typed into to search engines are 6 chars or less (total query length!). I have no idea how any "rule" got started -- but then maybe I started it! ;D

I think if there is any myth, then that is that ".COM is king" -- investing irrationally exuberant sums of money into a domain name that is actually just a long string of letters (and not a meaningful term -- i.e., one that is sought after) is going to be very difficult to "pay off". It is far wiser to invest in keywords that people actually search for -- and there the choice of top level domain ("TLD") is a far more complex matter than simply saying .COM is the only TLD that matters (this ludicrous opinion is based on no data whatsoever -- and it is quite ironic that .COM is actually one of the riskiest TLDs on the globe -- northern Europe cc TLDs are far more secure [see e.g. http://gaggle.info/post/65/surfing-northern-europe-is-safer-than-following-american-links-online]).

The most vivid, memorable and relevant strings on the globe are English words: e.g.: cars, homes, hotels, pizza, etc.

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How to pick the right name for your business.

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