How to Choose a Company Name
Research the market you will be selling to., Consider the message you want to convey., Make a list of product attributes., Add adjectives or make up words., Consider puns or alliteration., Consider portmanteaus or literary references.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Research the market you will be selling to.
Is your product or service a luxury item appealing to an upscale audience, or will it be purchased by people with less disposable income? This information will greatly influence the type of company name you choose.
For example, for an upscale audience you could consider a French name such as "La Petite Chou" as opposed to "Joe's Bar and Grill." -
Step 2: Consider the message you want to convey.
This would be a good time to write up a company mission statement if you don't already have one.
If your goals are to save people money, offer a higher quality product or help save the environment, you will want your company name to reflect this., Think about the ways your product is better than the competition's.
Is it faster, less expensive, easier to use, built with higher quality materials, or does it come with a long-term warranty? Write these down and then use a thesaurus to look up synonyms for these attributes. , For example, a clothing company could add "urban" for Urban Adventure.
An innovative software development company could be Univation.
Or add a personal touch using a name such as Betty's Homemade Pet Treats.
Avoid using "fancy" words when simple ones will do.
For example, don't use "Epigraphic Technology Corporation" if no one will know what epigraphic means. , A good example of a play on words is The Reel Bait Company.
Alliteration (two or more words beginning with the same letter) was used well with Jamba Juice.
These can help make a memorable company name. , A portmanteau is two words combined into one, such as Groupon.
Alice's Wonderland of Fun might be a great name for a toy store. -
Step 3: Make a list of product attributes.
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Step 4: Add adjectives or make up words.
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Step 5: Consider puns or alliteration.
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Step 6: Consider portmanteaus or literary references.
Detailed Guide
Is your product or service a luxury item appealing to an upscale audience, or will it be purchased by people with less disposable income? This information will greatly influence the type of company name you choose.
For example, for an upscale audience you could consider a French name such as "La Petite Chou" as opposed to "Joe's Bar and Grill."
This would be a good time to write up a company mission statement if you don't already have one.
If your goals are to save people money, offer a higher quality product or help save the environment, you will want your company name to reflect this., Think about the ways your product is better than the competition's.
Is it faster, less expensive, easier to use, built with higher quality materials, or does it come with a long-term warranty? Write these down and then use a thesaurus to look up synonyms for these attributes. , For example, a clothing company could add "urban" for Urban Adventure.
An innovative software development company could be Univation.
Or add a personal touch using a name such as Betty's Homemade Pet Treats.
Avoid using "fancy" words when simple ones will do.
For example, don't use "Epigraphic Technology Corporation" if no one will know what epigraphic means. , A good example of a play on words is The Reel Bait Company.
Alliteration (two or more words beginning with the same letter) was used well with Jamba Juice.
These can help make a memorable company name. , A portmanteau is two words combined into one, such as Groupon.
Alice's Wonderland of Fun might be a great name for a toy store.
About the Author
David Fisher
Brings years of experience writing about practical skills and related subjects.
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