There are many different parts to creating a business. You have to identify your product or service, then start building your brand. Building your brand is a crucial part of starting a business. All brands need a catchy and recognizable business name. Picking the right name can be challenging, but there are simple tips and tricks to help you find the perfect fit.
- Use keywords
- Make it simple
- Say it out loud.
- Register Your Name
Start With A Brainstorming Session.
A brainstorming session with you and your team is the best way to get ideas on paper. Remember, in this session, or sessions, no idea is a bad idea. You want to get the creative juices flowing, so do not disregard anything you or your team puts on the board. Here are some tips when throwing some potential names on the board.
Use keywords. Reference back to what your business or start-up offers. Are you a creative marketing firm that specializes in SEO? Or a construction company that is experts in net-zero building plans? Try using keywords that pertain to your start-up’s purpose or product, and you will be on the right track to the perfect name. In addition to thinking about your company’s purpose or product, also consider your clients. You should include keywords that will appeal to your target audience.
Make it simple. Whenever you think of a rememberable company, the name is usually short and identifiable. Try to match the same formula as Coca-Cola or Coke. Their name is simple, uncomplicated, and easy to remember. When throwing your ideas on the board, try to remind yourself and your team to keep it simple. Long and complicated names are harder to remember, and people are often more inclined to forget them. Additionally, keep in mind that your name will appear on merchandise such as coffee mugs and t-shirts. If your name is too long, you will have a hard time formatting it on various promotional items.
Say it out loud. Towards the end of your brainstorming session, or sessions, you should have a couple of favorite ideas or concepts. At this point, you should read through them and speak the name out loud. You want the name to be easily pronounced and sound appealing. In addition to saying it out loud yourself, ask your team to do the same, then ask your friends and family. Listen to how everyone pronounces it and watch their reaction. You want the name to sound pleasing and to roll easily out of the mouth.
Do not be afraid to return to the brainstorming board. You may not hit the mark on the first, second, or even the third time, and that’s okay. Your name is too important to settle. You need to feel confident and 100 percent sure about it.
You Found The Perfect Name. Now What? Search It.
A trademark is meant to distinguish a business. It is a stamp approving that a name belongs to you and your company, and no other company can pass it off as their own. Once you feel confident in your name developed in your brainstorming sessions, you should conduct a name search. A name search is when you examine thousands of registered trademarks to make sure your name is not already taken. Brace yourself for the possibility that it may already be a trademark, and as we said earlier, do not be afraid to return to the drawing board.
You can easily search through registered trademarks on the USPTO’s network. The USPTO is the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and they have an electronic database called the Trademark Electronic Search System or TESS. You can also opt for a third-party trademark search, but those services are often not free and can be expensive. Click here to use TESS and check to see if your name is available.
As long as your search on TESS does not lead to any established trademarks or pending applications, your name is available to use. If there is an existing or pending trademark, take a deep breath, and get yourself and your team excited to brainstorm for a new name.
No Pending Trademarks? Register Your Name ASAP!
You may feel like you can relax once you complete your search and find that your name is unique and available for use, but at this point, you need to kick it into high gear. You need to register a trademark using your name as soon as you can. Pending applications count as trademarks even if they are not approved, so if you wait, someone could apply before you, and “poof,” your perfect name is gone.
Make sure to complete your trademark application as soon as you know the name is available and pay the associate fee. The same rule applies for you and your company, meaning once your application is pending, no one else can submit a similar trademark. Your application should be processed and approved in a matter of days. Once it is processed, your name is a federally recognized trademark and protected as such.
You Have Your Trademark, Now Go Make Money.
Once you secure your trademark with the federal government there is only one thing left to do: run your business and make money.