HOW TO NAME A BUSINESS WITH SENSE

There are no established rules for choosing a name for your business. Thefollowing points, however, may serve as a guide when you need to christen one.

1. You need to understand the business activity you are involved in. Get aclearer picture of what you want to achieve, offer or sell. This also involveshaving the “guts” or conviction that what you want to venture into is rightfor you.

2. You need inspiration in choosing a name that is “meant” for you. Businessnames are not “spur of the moment” creations. An understanding of yourbusiness activity is the gateway to choosing the most suitable name, butinspiration gives you the best idea. Organize a brainstorming session withyour colleages, friends and family. In some cases, ideas for a name comeafter a deep sleep or times of being alone – meditating.

3. Have a Thesaurus or at least, a dictionary as guide. List words that have arelationship with your proposed business activity. Compare and contrast thewords you have chosen to find the ones with the perfect match. Single wordsare increasingly difficult to use as business names; therefore, you may haveto try word combination. But be careful when doing this and don’t dismissany idea that comes your way.

4. Take note of possible meanings, emotional connotations, and spellings.Marty Blalock noted that products have failed overseas sometimes simplybecause a name may take unanticipated meanings in translation. Example isthe Olympic copier “Roto” in Chile (roto in Spanish means “broken”); theChevy Nova in Puerto Rico (no va means “doesn’t go”); the Randan in Japan(randan means “idiot”). Naming a product and a business is communication at its simplestlevel.

5. Welcome an opportunity for criticism. Be open to criticism, especiallywhen it is a constructive one. At times, people you least expected have betterideas that would make you stand out. Don’t crucify anyone for not “buying”your idea of a name. Instead, ask for his or her opinion then add it to yourlist.

6. You can’t authenticate the availability of your new name until the nameregistry says so. Business naming procedures differ from country to country.So you need an understanding of how the one in your locality works. Seekingthe expertise of professionals is advisable.

7. Goodluck!

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