How to Choose the Perfect Name for Your Business

Updated: Dec 20, 2021
By Michelle Anama Abari
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Your name is an extension and representation of yourself. Your name speaks for you when you are not there. Your name is a symbol of you, your name is you, your name is your brand. Your name can reinforce the value you provide or distance you from it.

A lot of people start up a business without knowing how to brand their business and this leads to a lot of loss from them. Knowing how to name your business brand should be very essential when starting up your business. Your brand name can either make or break your company, you have to be very critical and logical when naming your company.

When you are developing a name for a business, a product, or a service, you have several options:

  1. Use the founder or inventor’s name (Hewlett-Packard)
  2. Describe what you do (Southwest Airlines)
  3. Describe an experience or image (S Print)
  4. Take a word out of context (Apple)
  5. Make up a word(Google)

A clear, powerful name can be extremely helpful in your marketing and brand efforts. This is because it says a lot about you and it speaks for you, for instance…

Storytelling

Fundamentally, stories are about connection. They offer universals for everyone to relate to, and they establish common experiences between people.

In business, storytelling can be a powerful tool, especially when it comes to branding. But, what if I told you that you can also use your brand name to tell a story?

Story-driven names use metaphors and references, like Nike and  Amazon. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. Amazon refers to the largest forest on earth. From these metaphorical names, we can tease out intriguing stories.

  • Nike’s story leads us on a journey of powerful achievement and victory-powerful associations for an athletic wear brand.
  • Amazon’s metaphor speaks to discovery and the endless, nourishing variety found in the rainforest.

Story-driven business names are intriguing. They draw people in. they also have the bonus of setting up an association between your brand and an established story. Every story provides a foundation of connection and values.

Storytelling in its form helps you to know how to name your business brand.

Some other ways on how to name your business brand include…

Make Sure the Name Can be Carried Over to Your Logo, Slogans, and Taglines

Brand consistency is critical to growth, and it all starts with your brand name. The name should look and sound great alongside the rest of your branding: logos, taglines, slogans, etc.

To put these tips into perspective, you can take inspiration from successful brands and their taglines:

Apple: Think Different.

Before it became synonymous with a world-class company, ‘Apple’ did not sound like much of a tech name. Despite sharing its name with a fruit, Apple successfully entrenched itself in the digital technology industry. And the slogan “Think Different” reflects what Apple stands for: an innovative tech company that differentiates itself from other brands in every way-including its unorthodox brand name.

Another Way of Knowing How to Name your Business Brand is by Using a Name that Conveys Some Meaning

Let your brand name have a meaning, it could be an acronym or just a word meaning something. For instance the Nigerian skincare product, Arami. Arami is a Yoruba word meaning my body.

Another is example is that of one of the biggest tech companies, Samsung. Samsung is a Korean word meaning “three stars”. The name was chosen by Samsung founder Lee Byung-Chull whose vision was for his company to become powerful and everlasting like stars in the sky. And Samsung is today the best android tech company in the world and it is often compared with Apple products. Samsung is a successful large company today because of the meaning behind its name.

If you are looking for how to name your business brand, a sure way is making sure that the name you come up with has a good meaning, it draws customers.

Personalize Your Brand Name

I have this very good friend of mine who owns a paint company and he used the initials of his name to get his brand name for his business. This is because he is very big on family, thereby promoting his family name by putting his family name into business. And because of this, he is excelling very well in his business. if I do say so myself!

Other well-known brands around the world are also known to personalize business by using their names. For instance, Versace makes bags, clothes, shoes, scarves, and other luxurious accessories. Versace is an Italian name that happens to be the surname of a small Italian family. They personalized their businesses by using their family names and today, these brands are one of the most luxurious brands in the world.

Other brands that use their family names are Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Channel, etc. all these are brands that used their names, and today they are excelling financially. Want to know to name your business brand? Make sure you personalize your business, it must not be the name you use, but the name is personal to you and your business.

Another Good Way to Name your Brand is by Relating it to Your Business

You own a fashion store and your brand name will read “divine food”. That does not make sense at all. Whatever business you are going into, let your brand name relate to your business.

I have a good friend of mine who is into pastries and she does make good pastries. When she started her business, she actually did not have a name and all, but then as time went on, she got a very good name from her relative which very much relates to her business. And today, her business is doing well, mainly because the name is very catchy and it relates to her line of business.

Let your brand name relate to your business and your business plan. This will bring the right customers to you.

Avoid Hard to Spell Names

Keeping your brand name simple, short, and meaningful is something you should know about branding your business. You do not need a long name like an encyclopedia. Let your name be simple to spell. For example, the automobile company owned by one of the richest men in the world, Elon Musk is called Tesla. The name is very simple and easy to spell and pronounce. This is what a brand name should be like, simple and easy to pronounce.

The thing about customers is that they are attracted to your brand name and your logo. So once either your brand name or logo has an issue with them, they lose interest in whatever products you are selling. So having an easy brand name is key to knowing how to name your business brand.

Make Sure your Brand Name is Unique

The last issue you want to face is trademarks suit, so before setting your heart on a brand name, do some research to see whether other brands are already using it.

There are times you get an exact match, there might still be some issues, for example, is the business in the same industry or location? Even if it is or is not you can add something like extra symbols or extra words or numbers to the brand name. This way, the brand is unique and stands out from every other industry in that line of business you are venturing into.

And Finally…

Naming your business brand is a whole lot of work. It is not something that one thinks of overnight and thinks it is the best. Branding your business should be more than just a name, you should research and link the name to the business in such a way that it is very unique and captivating. I mean, look at brands like Google. Google was a made-up word but today, it made its way into the English dictionary.

Let your brand name be different but simple and very catchy. It will bring customers to you. Your brand name represents you and it lures people who would be very much proud to wear your name on them. For example, Gucci, Versace, Aldo amongst others.

Think hard and explore names before you find that name that speaks volumes of your business, your logo, your slogan, and most especially of you.

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  1. Kamila

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