One of the first things, and arguably most fun thing, you will do when you start a business is decide on the name of the business. This is so exciting to ponder and you might spend some time kicking around different names, running them past people, and noodling on the implications of the name on your future success.
When I started my business 14 years ago, I spent quite a bit of time on this part. I was working a full-time job so I had the luxury of time.
I wanted a name that captured what I would help my clients do: I would help them get to their Point B, whatever that was. It might be getting a new job or starting a consulting business.
We frequently use the phrase “getting from Point A to Point B.” All variations of that were taken, but Point A to Point B Transitions Inc. was available. It was long, but people understood what I did just from the name, which would be helpful with networking, marketing, and sales.
Only once or twice did people think I had a logistics company, which also would have made sense.
Does the name reflect your business?
If you’re an advisory or consulting firm, you might want to have that in the name for clarity. Your name with “partners” could be a law firm or accounting firm or investment firm. It isn’t clear, but it isn’t terrible either.
I am going to start marketing my art this year. I have a name in mind with the word “art” in it, and also a word that reflects the type of subjects I usually draw with a bit of a twist. I’ll share that after I register it.
Does the name feel right to you?
It’s your business and you will be looking at the name and using it all day every day. It needs to feel right and get you excited.
When you’re having a tough day – and you will have them – thinking about the name of your company and the promise it held for you at the beginning might be the thing that gets you moving forward that day.
I think your company’s name needs to appeal to your head, heart, and gut.
Can people remember it?
Before I moved forward with my company name, I tried it out on people in grocery lines, sitting at the bar with me, and on other colleagues. It was long, but I thought it was memorable. Everyone could say it back to me even when the conversation had moved on to a different topic.
To this day, choosing the name of my business is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Is the name available to register?
If the exact name you want isn’t available, start thinking of slight variations that might be available.
Or, consider different words that might evoke the same image or emotion for your ideal client.
Is the domain available?
This is something I wish I had done differently. I wish I had picked a shorter domain name. Typing out pointatopointbtransitions.com for everything is a big pain and difficult for someone who struggles with dyslexia. I was firm about wanting a .com domain, but I could have picked something shorter. Oh well…
I hope this has given you some food for thought. Have fun with this part of the process!
And choose wisely, because while you can always rebrand, you may be using the name you pick for 14 years like I have.
