How do you come up with a name for your company?

A step-by-step algorithm on how to come up with a name for a company. Basic mistakes and practical advice based on examples of successful company names.

It may seem to some that to devote to the question, how to come up with a company name, a lot of time is stupid.

Probably, this is how grocery stores with the name "Products" and the like appear.

Experienced entrepreneurs are well aware that the name sets the tone for the entire business.

And a lot can depend on how carefully you approach this.

How to come up with a name for a company: 5 main mistakes

If you analyze the most common variants of company names, you can identify several basic mistakes.

Before choosing the ideal one, entrepreneurs should study this section carefully so as not to step on someone else's rake.

Associative row

The name is the first factor that will create your image for the user. Therefore, it is important to take care that this impression corresponds to reality.

For example, the beauty salon "Aida".

It seems to sound pretty neat.

Nevertheless, the educated part of your visitors will definitely pay attention to the consonance with "Hades". The god of the realm of the dead is not the best face for a business based on female beauty. This is worth thinking about.

But the legal news portal Pravo.ru is a positive example. The "name" is strict and clear.

Indicates the topic of the portal.

Obviously, a casual visitor is unlikely to find himself here looking for jokes or other entertaining content.

Inconsistency with the declared

Interesting fact:
The word Yahoo was coined by Jonathan Swif in Gulliver's Travels. That was the name of a repulsive, disgusting person. Founders of "Yahoo!" Jeri Young and David Philo chose this name because they called themselves yahoo's. However, now the name stands for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle (something like "Here's another helpful search engine built on a hierarchical principle").

Ambition is good, but only within reasonable limits.

The name should reflect the real level of the firm and the real positioning of the brand.

You can often observe a situation when a small semi-basement furniture store is called "Furniture Kingdom" or a karaoke in the "VIP" residential area.

Entrepreneurs should be more rational and choose neutral names without pretending to a level where the company is not.

The opposite example is jewelry stores called Zolotishko or Bruliki.

Such names can evoke a variety of associations, but not with serious and reliable brands.

The more solid and prestigious a niche you seek to name, the less room is left for diminutive suffixes, jokes and fairy tales.

Too hard

Acronyms and acronyms are an easy way to come up with a name for an organization.

However, even without statistics, it's safe to say that buyers don't like long and complex names.

Let's take a product niche.

Usually a person remembers 5-15 brand names.

If the chosen name is also difficult to remember, you may not even dream of recognizability.

Registration issue

If you do not plan to open a one-day store or refuse any development, you should definitely ask the question of registration.

Otherwise, when your firm becomes large and successful, you will face the same big problems.

In addition to nerves and time, solving this problem will result in serious monetary costs.

Almost original

Surely you have come across names that use well-known brands, but with minor changes.

For example, Starducks coffee shop, Pima clothing store and the like.

Such a move will undoubtedly attract attention.

However, rather negative.

It is impossible to develop full-fledged firms under such a "heading".

Step-by-step algorithm: how to choose a name for a company?

As already mentioned, decide on the position of the company.

How do you want to be in the eyes of buyers: fast, positive, serious?

Try to keep your message as short as possible.

Indeed, in one or three words, it will not work out much, whatever one may say.

Research your competitors to differentiate yourself.

A good example is nasal wash.

Usually in the name of this drug there is a reference to the marine theme: "aqua", "aqua".

The creators of the "Dolphin" medicine withstood the sea "direction", but at the same time they stood out from the crowd.

Decide on the age and gender of your main target audience.

If you are planning to sell goods for teens, naming a company after a famous historian, for example, is not entirely appropriate.

Choose between emotion and information.

When it comes to a serious brand, the name should convey information about what you do.

No unnecessary jokes, distortions and flights of fantasy.

But if you are planning to open a cafe or an event agency, you can focus on the impressions that will arise from your name.

And not on its meaningfulness and compliance with the occupation.

Select the language for the main title.

Almost 90% of all new firms have an English-language "name".

Which, in turn, began to cause a negative response from the population.

They say "our language also has many excellent options for the name."

Of course, it may seem to you that "Compote" does not sound as worthy as "Juice".

But research shows that it is to the first option that audience loyalty becomes higher every year.

But it is also worth considering an option for foreign partners if you have far-reaching plans.

Check if the chosen name is free.

Often at this stage, all the work done is in vain.

But do not despair - go through the options further.

Despite the variety of original names, there are still thousands of unrealized ideas in the world.

One of which can be yours.

Conduct a survey among colleagues, acquaintances, relatives.

Perhaps only you liked the option you chose.

And it does not at all create in those around him those emotions and associations with which you have endowed him.

Besides, two heads are better than one, and two dozen - even more so.

How to come up with a name for a company: 3 ways

What shouldn't be used when choosing a name for a company?

The above errors should be taken solely as helpful recommendations.

Perhaps what has not been suitable for hundreds of entrepreneurs will be a successful step for you.

But the points below are definitely worth observing when you choose how to choose a name for a company.

1. Nothing in the name should hint to consumers that you are a state organization, if this is not so. That is, the words "parliamentary", "Russian", "state" will definitely become a red light when registering a name for a company.
2. For companies that work with foreign partners or plan to work in the future, you cannot use dissonant and abusive names. Do you think this is obvious?

   The owners of the Nova car brand also thought so before entering the Spanish market, where they failed miserably.

   The reason is simple - "no-va" is translated from Spanish as "does not walk."

3. Geographic location is not a strict rule, but a useful tip - you shouldn't give a reference to a specific region in the name if you plan to expand in the future.

   "Ryazan Art Shop" and simply "Art Shop" - which store will be more successful in Moscow, do you think?

4. You can not use words that indicate banking or financial activities ("bank", "pawnshop", "insurance").

A few more nuances to consider when choosing a company name,

voiced in the video:

How to choose a name for companies of different types of activity?

Construction company

Obviously, the name should be associated with reliability, quality, durability.

Calling your business "Shabashka", you will get the appropriate attitude from your customers.

Tour operator

Clients also expect reliability and commitment from a travel company.

But, first of all, it is a business that sells emotions.

So the name should bring pleasant impressions and evoke associations with future rest.

Interesting variants of the name for a travel company: "TUI", "Mont Blanc", "Oasis".

Choosing the perfect name for a company is a great success and a rarity.

It is not for nothing that many people pay money to naming specialists.

Although some people think that paying any money for one or two words is stupid, you should not be so delusional.

The success of the business largely depends on how well the name is chosen.

The main mistakes when choosing a name are associated with the fact that entrepreneurs have a poor idea of ​​who they are and what strategy they are promoting.

If you understand who your target audience is and why they need the products you offer, the question is, how to come up with a name for a company will cease to seem complicated.

And if the business has potential, it will give meaning to any name you choose (as happened with Apple).

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