When it comes to naming your business, there’s a lot to consider. Do you go the traditional route and use your own name or do you try to get creative and go with a name people won’t forget? It’s a big deal, after all, and it’s not something you can just change willy-nilly.
So, are there any names that you should avoid when naming your biz?
First off, choosing a business name that’s too long, too hard to remember, or too difficult to spell is a definite no-no.
Instead, you want something catchy, that’s easy to remember and easy to pronounce. Essentially, you’re going for the memorable-factor because the average person isn’t going to buy from you the first time they come across your stuff. It’s going to take them remembering who you are, what your business is, and what you offer to come back and buy from you.
The second thing you want to avoid is settling on a name BEFORE you’ve verified that the name you’ve selected isn’t already registered to someone else. Save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and search the federal trademark database before you do anything like buy a domain or have a logo designed.
Here are a few other no-nos when selecting your business name:
- Avoid choosing a name that is descriptive or obscure like The Blue Store or one that uses an ingredient, color, feature, or other characteristic that isn’t original or unique.
- Avoid choosing a name that has a significant or secondary meaning. For instance, Nakia Gray is not likely to be trademarked – it has no significant or secondary meaning … yet.
- Avoid choosing a name that includes a geographic location. This would likely cause customers to associate your name with a region or location AND that can limit your business growth.
- Avoid choosing a name that is too similar to a name that’s already registered or has a pending registration. For example, if Urban Sunshine Photos is already registered, it’s a bad idea to try and register Urban Sunshine Photography.
Lastly, it’s good to note, that in order to trademark your biz name, your business must be “used in interstate commerce” … meaning whatever product or service you offer, you must either do business in more than one state or affect the marketplace in more than one state.
Got questions about naming your biz or trademarking the name you’ve settled on? Book an initial Trademark Brand Strategy Session with us by clicking here.