Thursday 28 April 2016

What's in a Company Name? Find a Sticky Name Customers Will Remember

Written by Robyn T. Braley

So, you are starting a new company. It may be as an act of desperation because you were laid off and you’ve given up trying to find another job in your market. You have little money, but there is no other choice. You will bootstrap your company into existence.

Or, perhaps the opposite is true. The economy in your trading area is popping. There are hundreds of opportunities for a new business.

Perhaps there is an emerging need and the company you work for is set in its ways and resists change. You have new ideas about how to adapt to changing times and exploit the new possibilities. This is the time to strike out on your own.

You must satisfy that itch!
Maybe, as an entrepreneur, you have an unsrcatchable itch! You can’t find relief in any other way than to start your own company. You are driven by an overwhelming will to succeed.

O.K., I’ll stop now! Whatever your reason for starting your company, you need a sticky name; one that everyone will remember.

A Lame Name in the Next Lane

How many times have you sat in your vehicle idling at a traffic light when you looked left and noticed a truck sitting in the next lane. You can’t believe your eyes. The name on the side of the truck is the silliest and lamest company name of all time. How can that happen? 

Having gone through the process of naming companies and products many times, I understand completely. It can happen for any one of a number or reasons. 

·         The owner was up against an incorporation deadline and needed a name – fast!
·         The owner just got her first order and needed a name before she could invoice for   badly needed cash
·         The owner chose the name years ago but the meaning is no longer relevant
·         The owner’s nephew in high school Drama chose it because he is really creative
·         The owner chose the name against all available advice, particularly from his spouse