The Art of Choosing Your Business Name

If you’re stuck on what to name your business, you’re not alone! We share how we decided on our biz names and our favorite ways to brainstorm and nail down that bad boy once and for all. We go through our no-fail questions to ask when it comes to your branding so you can lock down your business name with confidence, clarity and a clear story. (And then snatch up all the domains.)

How to Choose Your Business Name

Make it ORIGINAL.

Brainstorm a list of words associated with you and your biz. Anything goes, just crank it out. Give yourself some time for this process to let it flow naturally! From this list, curate down to a smaller list. And so on! Explore keywords, check out books, dictionaries, etc. Write down what resonates with you. Also, for funsies and to get the creative juices flowing, check out the Shopify name generator. Endless entertainment!

(Keep in mind that names like Zappos, Amazon, Verizon (you know, the more random names or made-up words) are catchy and cool, but they spend a FORTUNE on brand identity. ) Think about what TYPE of name works better for you? More literal/descriptive like BeachBabe Swimwear or more abstract like Sweet Tea on a Sunday?

Give yourself ROOM TO GROW.

Maybe right now you only do baby shower invitations, but what if you want to expand into weddings? Baby Bump Invitations would NOT be a good name. Instead of thinking of what product you offer, also think about your business’s story, values and key differentiators.

Make it USER-FRIENDLY.

Make it short, memorable and pronounceable. People are going to butcher your name and mistype your URL. Make it was easy as possible. Say your biz name out loud. Put in an email signature. Get comfy with it. Then put it to the test! Get some feedback from people you trust. (And not a bajillion people because you don’t want to confuse yourself further!) These people should be invested in your biz and your success. Always good to hear different opinions because someone could have totally different perspectives that you haven’t thought of yet!  If they immediately have questions, probably not a good name!

TIP: When picking an Instagram handle for your biz try to avoid using underscores, periods, or punctuation. Makes it super hard to find people!

Make sure it’s actually AVAILABLE.

Look at all social handles, the URL, the domain, etc. Google it too! https://namechk.com/ is a good tool for this

Make sure it FEELS RIGHT.
Let’s be real: a lot of biz decisions come down to trusting our gut. If you love it, go for it!! And don’t stress: you can always change it later on if you must.

Once you’ve landed on a business name, we recommend asking yourself these questions:

• Is it easy to spell?

• Is it too confusing or “clever”?

• Is it available on all channels?

• Is there room to grow?

• Can you be confused with another brand?

• Does this name appeal to your clientele/audience?

• Does it reflect the overall “voice” of your biz?

• If it’s spelled out in a domain name/IG handle, does it form other words? (Like Papers Hit Press smushed together…no good.)