How do I choose a name for my business? Part 4
If you haven’t read the previous instalments… part 1, part 2, part 3
The three questions you should definitely ask yourself before deciding on a business name.
It’s all well and good choosing a name, but you also have to think about how many times a day you’re going to be writing, saying and hearing the name too. So, the final part in our name choosing process was to ask ourselves the following questions:
1 – Does it look good written down?
Seems like a silly question, but if you’re going to be spending a significant amount time looking at this word, it’d be useful for it to be something that you like the look of. You also need to consider how the name will look as a logo. Play around with the word, doodle designs to see how it might look. When we designed the logo for skoobaroob we loved how it looked old school, like letter magnets on a fridge, familiar, bright and easy on the eye.
2 – Is it easy to say?
We all know one business whose name’s difficult to pronounce, like Nike or Porsche, right? (you think you’re saying them right, you’re probably not!) So choose something easy to pronounce, for your sake as well as your customers. Using words from other languages can be fun and quirky, like Patisserie Valerie or Moda Bella and can work if you use commonly known words, like chateau or couture. However, you will have to accept that, if you choose to do this, you will possibly be explaining what you do, correcting how people say it and quote likely having to spell it out over and over. And they don’t have to be from distant shores to cause a bother, some home grown words are frequently mispronounced too, like epitome, prescription and February. But, that’s not the only thing to consider when you’re saying a word. How does it feel when you’re saying it? Say it a few times to yourself to see if you like saying it. We love how the word skoobaroob sounds when you say it – it kind of rolls off your tongue in fun, childlike way.
3 – Does it sound good when you hear it?
Same goes for how it sounds when you hear your company name said out loud. If the name makes you jar, it will probably make your customers feel the same way. Imagine having a company called Slaughter and Sons, for example. Now, I know this is a legitimate family name, but really, it does not conjure up a positive image at all. Unless you intend to be a weapons manufacturer or something equally blood spilling.
And that, my fellow business owning friends, is it. I really hope that by now you’ve got yourself a great company name that will see you through the years to come.
