One of the most important things to consider when setting up a business is the name. Often your business name is the first thing a potential customer will see or hear of you, so it’s important to get it right!
Do some research in your field of business before choosing a name. Have a look at what other companies are called. If you’re going to be a locally based service it’s important not to choose a name too similar to other local companies – even if they’re not in the same line of business as you! If your business will be mostly based online, spend some time with a search engine to see which other company names there are in your field.
Back in the days where we all used a telephone directory to find a service, there were a lot of companies named Aardvark – not because the owners liked animals particularly, but because then they were sure to be the first entry in the business directory under their chosen trade! These days, we don’t really use directories any more, and everything is online – so you don’t need to choose a name beginning with A – but it does need to be something that will tell people exactly who you are, and what you do.
If you provide several different services, it might be hard to have your business name tell people exactly what you do. As much as your business name needs to be informative, it shouldn’t be too long either! Ideally, you want two to three words that will tell people what you do. Alliteration can be useful to help a name stick in people’s minds too.
Test out your idea on as many people as possible before making a decision – your friends can offer you an outsider’s point of view that can be priceless in this situation!
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