| Drive through any rural town and you will see that | | | | online is more difficult. |
| many local businesses are still named after their | | | | Develop your business name by brainstorming |
| owners. "Walker's Drugstore" and "Carl's | | | | words and terms that describe your business and |
| Café" monikers are still common in these | | | | industry. Mix and match your favorites until you |
| areas, but for most new businesses, naming it | | | | come up with three or four that represent the |
| after yourself is not always the best bet. Many | | | | image you want to present. Check whether these |
| rural American towns are frozen in time -- they | | | | names are available as a domain name. If you are |
| are part of a micro-economy that has little room | | | | serving a local area, consider adding a state or |
| for growth and, in many cases, are on their way | | | | city to the name to increase the odds of finding |
| out. Most budding entrepreneurs are not looking to | | | | the domain name for your favorite business |
| start a business in this vein, so most startups | | | | name. Just remember that any change you make |
| should avoid using their own name as the business | | | | should be used consistently across all of your |
| name. | | | | marketing materials. If your business name is |
| There are a number of exceptions in which using | | | | Acme Designs, that is what your customers will |
| your own name is really the best marketing | | | | search for online. If your web address must be |
| option. If you are a well-known expert in your | | | | AcmeDesignsNY.com, use that full name on all of |
| field and customers will be driven to purchase | | | | your marketing materials. |
| your product because of your name, by all | | | | Once you find two or three names that you are |
| means, use your own name. Artists, such as | | | | happy with, run them by your friends and family |
| clothes designers and painters, use their own | | | | for some feedback. Sometimes entrepreneurs |
| names for obvious reasons and customers come | | | | are too close to the project to see problems with |
| to identify styles by the artists' names. Small | | | | a name. For example, Chevrolet's Nova brand |
| construction firms are also named after the | | | | from the 1970's was very popular in the US, but |
| owner, though most national and international | | | | they couldn't sell any south of the border. Guess |
| startups are getting away from that trend. | | | | why? |
| Doctors, lawyers and accountants incorporate | | | | Because "no va" means no go in Spanish. |
| under their own name, but again, they are | | | | Seriously. Apparently nobody on the Chevy team |
| counting on their positive reputation to drive sales. | | | | was aware of that. So, ask around and listen to |
| If your business idea does not rely on your | | | | the feedback. |
| current reputation to succeed, consider developing | | | | What you name your business is ultimately a |
| a more descriptive way to identify your venture. | | | | personal choice. You will be saying, writing and |
| One problem with using your name as the | | | | hearing that name millions of times over the life |
| business name is that it doesn't tell your potential | | | | of the business, so it is important that you like |
| customers anything about what you do. "Smith, | | | | the sound of it yourself. Unless you have a good |
| Inc." could sell anything from pencil top erasers to | | | | reason for doing so, don't use your own name. |
| luxury yachts. Even "Smith's Boats" isn't great for | | | | Instead, develop a business name that is |
| setting you apart from the competition. That | | | | reflective of the product you offer and the image |
| business could sell anything from scale models to | | | | you want to project. Keep it simple, easy to spell |
| ocean liners. A name like Rivercraft Boats, on the | | | | and pronounce, and logically related to what you |
| other hand, offers the image of mid-sized, | | | | do. |
| well-made boats for use on, well, rivers. | | | | Choosing a business name is a big step on the |
| Selecting the right name for your business is not | | | | road to entrepreneurship. The name you choose |
| as easy as it used to be. Even 20 years ago, | | | | will be your customers' first introduction to your |
| whatever name you liked could probably be used, | | | | business and how they refer others to you. Your |
| even if another company in a different industry | | | | entire brand will be built around the word or |
| had the same name. With the advent of the | | | | words you choose, so be sure they encompass |
| world wide web, your options are far more | | | | the image you are planning to build. Be sure to |
| limited. Every new business needs an online | | | | match your domain name as closely as possible to |
| presence, and your best bet is to have a domain | | | | your business name and keep your marketing |
| name that matches your business name. With | | | | consistent across your marketing efforts. Put in |
| over 100 million domain names already in use, | | | | the time to develop the right name so that your |
| finding a business you like that is also available | | | | business gets off to the right start! |