How do I choose the RIGHT name for my company?

You’ve got a brilliant business idea!

You're excited to start a new company but wait…what do you call it?

What’s in a name, you say?

It's the core of your identity, so get it right the first time. First impressions last and change can be costly.

Picking a company name can feel overwhelming, but careful thinking can help you select the perfect name.

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

Who are you and what do you do? What makes you stand out?

Your name should reflect this by being:

• descriptive —give people an idea of what your brand offers

• positive — make people have good associations with it

• memorable —uniquebut not too obscure

Tip: combine more than one word to make a new one. Some examples:

• Instagram (instant camera + telegram)

• Accenture (accent + future)

Keep It Simple, Stupid is sound advice. Clear and easy names make it more effortless for clients to find you.

Avoid: Unusual spellings or long words that can create confusion and errors.

Brainstorm broadly. You may expand your offering as your company grows.

Avoid: narrow or limiting names.

Use a thesaurus or online word generation website to get your thoughts going.

Amazon started with books, and now sells everything under the sun. Imagine if they'd been named OnlineBooks...

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

• Do online searches for possible existing companies with the names you pick

• Search possible domain names and if they can be bought

• Find out about the possibility of company registration and copyrighting

Get feedback from various sources (friends, family, colleagues) after narrowing down your choices for a balanced view.

Say it out loud. Does it sound right? Think about how you could represent it visually.

Create your perfect company name!