Business Name Mistakes

Dane points us to a post at Business Know-How about business naming mistakes.

A good name is critical to the success a business on the web.  You have to select a name that will stand out and is memorable.

Here are Business Know-How’s six mistakes to avoid:

1.      Getting stuck in alphabet soup

2.      Using names that are too long, or difficult to understand, spell or pronounce

3.      Picking business names that limit business growth

4.      Letting the grey areas get you discouraged or immobilized

5.      Being an island

6.      Failing to check if your chosen business names belong to another business

I would add one more to this list:

Failure to checkout what the name means in other languages.  We’ve all heard the stories like the one about the Chevy Nova.  In Spanish Nova means “Does not go”.  That’s not good if you want to sell cars to the 55% of the population that speaks / understands Spanish.

Naming your business is a tough task and you only get one chance to get it right. 

Comments

[Russell]

Great tips here but could you explicate further on number one and three?

[Russell]

Great tips but could you explicate further on number one and three?

[Dave L]

Russell,

Here is the information on numbers one and three from the site:

1. Getting stuck in alphabet soup
A business name that comes at the beginning of the alphabet can be a plus since many business listings are alphabetical; however, some businesses have taken this strategy to absurd levels. Phone book pages produce a staggering number of businesses starting with the letter A, a number of which are somewhat nonsensical: "AAAAA Locksmith" and "AAA Active Appliance." Other than another word that starts with the letter A, what purpose does the word "Active" serve?

3. Picking business names that limit business growth
Choose a business name that is wide-ranging enough to give your business growing room.

Geographic business names are popular; i.e., Hidden Springs Housecleaners. But what happens if your business takes off and you'd like to expand the geographic area you cover or even go national? Unless you're sure you want to stay in one particular location, avoid using geography in your business name. The same goes for naming a business after one product or service: "Al's Refrigerator Repair Service's" name would need to change if Al decides to take on air-conditioner repair. Lastly, stay away from names that describe current fads or trends: When the new "Millennium Diner" opened in 1999, it sounded timely -- six year later, it sounds dated.