How to Name a Business in 7 Easy Steps

The Brandings.com company naming experts will demystify how to name a new business and will provide you with the fundamentals in how to name your new start-up. We will answer some of the most common questions and we'll share our years of experience, insider tips and research to provide answers on how to name your business step-by-step.

Step 1: What to look for in a business name.

When we develop company names we consider the strategic objectives of the firm. A great name fosters an emotional connection with the customer. We love short names with fewer than eleven characters. The name should look right and sound right. We stay away from funky spellings. An unusual spelling may sound cute at first, but could really mix up potential customers. And while we like cool names and clever names – we stay away from names that try to be too cool or too clever.

Step 2: Determine if you need a narrowly focused business name or a business name with more broad appeal.

If you’re considering expanding, it’s important not to have a limiting name. If you adopt a city or region in your name, like MumbaiTelecom, it could seriously impact your expansion plans. A name should be expandable to allow for product extensions and industry changes. Some names keep the option open for significant expansion, while others may be highly specialized and targeted. While “OnlyCupcakes” is a great name for a cupcake company – it may be limiting if the firm wants to move to other types of baked goods.

Step 3: Stay clear of hyphens.

With rare exception, a strong business name should not contain hyphens. We have found that hyphens will just confuse your customer and likely send them to your competition. In very select cases numbers and non-alphabetic characters can be used – but require careful design to avoid consumer confusion.

Step 4: Make sure the name is available.

A great name is of no value if there are trademark infringement issues or you cannot secure the .com domain name. One of the biggest challenges of company naming agencies is creating a great name only to find it in use somewhere around the world. At Brandings all names in our on-line database have been through a preliminary screening and include the .com domain extension.

Step 5: Check the availability of a prospective business name for free.

Here are a few free resources to check to see if your business name is available. As simple as it sounds, start by typing the company name into a search engine like Goggle, Yahoo or AltaVista. You would be suprised at the information you will find.

You can also take advantage of the free trademark search function the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) database at USPTO Search. It is super easy ... and it's free.

Step 6: Check to see if the .com domain name is available.

The .com extension remains firmly the domain extension of choice for businesses desiring established credentials. Simply put, you will need to own the .com domain name. As a defensive measure we advise clients to secure the .org, net and other relevant domain extensions in addition to the .com domain extension. We also advise our international clients that as a defensive measure, to secure their country code extension (when available) and redirect prospects to their primary .com website. To see if the name is available, just type it into your menu bar. You can also check out the history of any domain name through the free whois.net or domaintools.com search function.

Step 7: Consider the visual design of your business name.

A: The visual design and logo design helps create a mental image of the company. A really great logo design emanates from your company’s strategic plan. The logo stems from a sharp understanding of your internal and external environment and your grasp of competitive advantage. The elements of visual design include size, typestyle, color, layout and other graphic elements. A great logo communicates the central elements of your firm’s advantage clearly and concisely. You’ll want to create a design that is memorable and relevant to your target market. And you’ll want to think about where your logo will appear -- for example, how will it look on letterhead, website, building, packaging merchandise. When the visual elements come together cohesively a powerful company identity is created.

Do you have a business naming question?

We’re here to help answer your questions on how to name a business ... and more! Send your business naming question to our naming team. Click here: Q&A

Get Started Now

Acquiring the prefect name has never been easier. You can find thousands of pre-developed company names in Brandings.com company name database. Just click on this link to search for the perfect name.

We are here to assist you in securing the right name for your business, product or service. Call Brandings Client Service Team today at 1-800-852-8900 (international callers 1-310-246-5100) or simply click here to contact our office via e-mail: info@brandings.com

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