How to Name Your Small Business in 10 Easy Steps
So, you have a sparkling idea for a small business and you’re ready to start setting it up. But you’re stuck on coming up with the right brand name for your business. One of the hardest parts of starting a small business can be choosing a name. You want a suitable name that’s fitting for your business that you can keep using as your business grows. But how do you go about it? Here’s how to name your small business in 10 easy steps. (Please note these tips are specific to small businesses in Australia.)
1. Make a list of potential business names.
It’s such a simple step and a no brainer. Maybe you have a list of possible names floating around in your head, but I urge you to write them down. Even the names that sound silly. Just write everything down. And don’t rush the process. Do it over days, weeks or even months if you’re not in a hurry to start your business.
But how do you come up with business names? It depends on what your business is offering. There’s a school of thought that you should put keywords in your business name and website URLs so that Google will love you. For example, a dentist may put the suburb they are operating in and the word ‘dentist’ for their business name. But then think about all the business names that don’t mean anything but become brands in their own right like Google, Apple, Red Balloon etc.
Be as wild and creative as you like or as literal as you like. The choice is yours. Many creative service freelancers such as myself call their business their own name. I knew this wasn’t the right approach for me as I always have to spell out my last name over the phone and it’s still often misspelt. So, I knew it wouldn’t make an easy to remember and spell business name.
Names can be powerful. Do you want to convey an attribute? When I named my business Breezy Words, I wanted to convey a sense of easiness, helpfulness and that my services were all about creating words and content to make a business owner’s life easier. I was also offering a whole range of services other than copywriting, including book marketing, so needed a name that encapsulated it all. Think about what connotation you want your business name to have.
When I was brainstorming business names, I jotted them down in the notes app on my phone so I could easily record ideas wherever I was. Then I eventually copied them all over to one document and got rid of the names I knew weren’t right until I had narrowed my list down. Which leads me to step two.
2. Check that the potential domain name for your business is available.
This is simple to do by going to a website like GoDaddy.com and typing in your list of names. When I did this step, I found that a lot of the names I wanted were taken. GoDaddy can offer you alternatives that are similar to your name but you may have to go back to the ‘making a list’ step a few times before you find a name that is free.
Sometimes the .com is taken but the .com.au or .net version is free. As an Australian business I knew I wanted to be .com.au, but I also didn’t want someone else to have the .com of my name in case that caused confusion to my potential clients. Therefore I made sure to choose a name which had both the .com.au and .com website addresses available. I then purchased both.
3. What does your business name look like as a URL?
When you’re making your list of names also write down your ideas as an URL — e.g. www.yourbusinessname.com.au. What does the name look like? Is it very long? Is it easy for people to spell? Do any inappropriate words unintentionally pop out when you combine words? Will it fit easily on a business card? These are all important questions to consider. After all, you don’t want to end up with a URL that’s inappropriate or makes your business look like a joke.
You can see some examples of unintentionally funny domain names in this Bored Panda article.
The length of your URL is also an important consideration. In this article Neil Patel gives some good advice on creating SEO friendly URLs and the ideal character length.
4. Are the social media handles for your business available?
Many small businesses these days don’t have a website and use a Facebook or Instagram page instead. Check that there’s not another business with a big social following already using the name you want. You want to avoid your business getting confused with someone else’s. Or any potential legal headaches.
5. Is it a business name that can be future proofed?
What if you start out your business as a sole trader, but then business ramps up and you need to employ more people or you start offering more products or services? Will your original name still fit your business? It might cause confusion if you have an internet-based business called Sara’s Shoes and you suddenly decide to sell clothes as well.
If you think that your business might grow and evolve into something else then it’s best to choose a name that’s flexible. Also consider that one day you might want to sell your business and this may be hard to do if the name is something specific to you only.
6. Consider the business names of your competitors.
It’s a great idea to search Google for names of similar businesses operating in your area. Or if you’re not really tied down geographically then consider who your competitors might be. You don’t want to choose a name that’s very similar to another business who might be your direct competitor. Even consider businesses that aren’t in your industry but are in your location. Is there the potential for confusion between your names?
I had to abandon some of my original business names because they were too similar to existing businesses. For example, I originally wanted to have the word ‘coast’ as part of my business name as I live on the Central Coast. But every second business has coast in their name and my idea of ‘Coast to Coast’ had so many variations in different industries so I would have had a lot of competition on Google. I would have also found my name competing with businesses on the Gold Coast as well.
I also wanted to be able to attract clients from all around Australia so I didn’t want to limit myself to just my local area in my business name.
7. What does your business name look like as a logo?
When I came up with my shortlist of business names, I used Canva (a free design app) to mock up some logos. I wanted to see how my business names looked in logo form. It was a good idea because some of them were too long or just looked weird when in logo form. It really helped me narrow my list to a very short list.
I stuck my logos and business names shortlist on a wall and looked at it every day for a week, slowly eliminating names that just didn’t look quite right.
8. Test your business name with your target market.
It’s ideal to try your business name on your target audience. For example, if your audience is busy mums then ask some mum friends for their opinion on your business name. What do they think when they see the name or hear the name? What’s their immediate reaction?
Also say your business name out loud and in a sentence. Is it easy to understand? Do people have to ask you to repeat the name?
9. Check your name is available via ASIC.
When starting a business in Australia (and if you’re not a sole trader using your own name), you have to register your business name with ASIC. As part of that process you need to check that your business name hasn’t already been taken by doing a search of their database. If the name isn’t taken then you’re all good. Visit the ASIC website for more details.
10. Register your business and get that domain.
Once you’ve made your final decision about what to name your small business you need to make it official. If you’re an Australian business then register for your ABN, register your business with ASIC, buy your domain names and set up your name on your business social accounts. Even if you’re not ready to launch your business yet, get in early so you can snap up your name!
If you need help with anything related to marketing your business get in touch with Breezy Words today.
