How to come up with a business name
Coming up with a business name can be the first stumbling block when starting a new business or rebranding.
Creating the business name “Creative Box” in fact took me ages. And it was hubby Nat that thought of it. "Creative" because I was going to create bold creative designs for my clients, and "Box" because of our last name Boxell. Those who don't know my last name, kindly think it's because I’m a box of creative goodness, which I secretly not so secretly now love.
Here are some easy ways to come up with the magic and also check that your new name will withstand the test of time.
Brainstorm
Sit down and have some fun with a brainstorm session.
Ideas to brainstorm to cover
Use your name
Play on your name
Description of your product or service
Emotive connection or positioning
Creating an acronym
Make up a name
You can get further ideas from
Your business story, key features, location
The people who inspire you, founders
Symbolism & mythology
Using the thesaurus
Check the technical stuff
Once you have settled on your business name, check that it does the following
It’s not confusing and makes sense
Doesn’t sound too close to another business name
Easy to spell
Easy to pronounce
Short and catchy
Further checks
Now you need to check that no one else is using the name and your potential domain name, social media handles are all available
Check your name on Onecheck - a highly recommended New Zealand site for checking business name and trademark originality, as well as the availability of domain names and social media handles
You can also
Check through Google, Facebook, Instagram etc to ensure there are no businesses with similar names
Check a domain registrar such as GoDaddy that your domain name is available
Check New Zealand companies website that the name is not already registered
The most important thing is that your business name is short, catchy and easy to understand and your ideal clients will connect with it.
Please note this is not legal advice, see your accountant or lawyer around your business name, registering and trademarks
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