Choosing a great Business Name

What draws a customer to your business, it's what is in the name, the answer is simple: everything-customer service, great product, and a guarantee. A good name can make your business, and a bad one can certainly break it. It pays, then, to play the name game well.

After all, a successful name can:

Reinforce your business concept.

Lead the force in branding your company.

Attract new customers.

Sell your products and services.

Steps to take.

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

If you have a startup budget, you should consider hiring a naming firm to help you find a memorable name, design a creative logo and navigate complex naming laws.

Research naming firms such as ABC Namebank and NameLab for help in choosing the right symbolic name, or find a complete listing of professional name consultants in the Yahoo! Small Business Directory.

When brainstorming ideas for a company name, looking in the dictionary or in the newspaper, or within your business plan, can improve your odds of finding a name that suits your business. Developing a list of at least 10 potential names to start.

Buy naming software or an online consultation from Namexpress.

As you work with your list of potential names down to a favorite, look for choices that are meaningful and have strong branding opportunities due to their memorable qualities. The strongest names are short, simple and descriptive.

There is more to naming your business than just coming up with something that sounds good and you happen to like. Thought must be given to state and local requirements and making sure you don’t infringe upon the rights of someone else’s business name.

Legal Requirements And Implications

Picking a name for your business requires much more than just creativity and a working knowledge of your target market. First you'll need to decide which business structure you will use such as a Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Corporation, Limited Liabilty Company, or Non-Profit Organization, since each structure has its own peculiarities.

For example, many states require a sole proprietor to use their own name for the business name unless they formally file another name as a trade name, or fictitious name.

Similarly, you will need to determine whether your trade name will be the same as the full legal name of your business. Of equal importance is finding out whether your name or a very similar name is being used by another business, and if so, what rights they may or may not have to use the name in the area where you do business. Keep in mind that some businesses only file trademarks within their locality, so it's possible that the same name can be used elsewhere. Here's some information on Trademark FAQs.

Search And Registration

Trade names can be registered through state Secretary of State offices, and for wider marketplace protection, through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO Trademark Search). Businesses should first use the USPTO's online system to search all state and federal trademark registers to see if their proposed name is being used.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Patent Section

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Trademark Section

U.S. Copyright Office

Forms may also be downloaded!

Secure your domain name

Every business needs its own Web site. And just like the name of your company, its Web address should be relevant, memorable and, of course, available. Read more about business domain names....

For many businesses that operate on the Web, trade names are synonymous with domain names, such as Amazon.com and Monster.com. Domain names are not registered through state or local government; rather they can be obtained through numerous online businesses such as, www.godaddy.com, or www.networksolutions.com, www.register.com or www.mydomain.com, most of which will allow you to conduct a name search prior to purchase to make sure your chosen name isn't taken.