SIMPLE TIPS ON HOW TO PICK A BUSINESS NAME

Picking a name for your business can be confusing, and most times very challenging.

However, it isn’t that difficult if you follow some tips that could guide you on the right path to choosing and registering a business name.

Below are a few tips that could help you out;

1. Be sure that the name you pick is easy to spell and pronounce.
Try as much as possible not to pick a name that would be difficult to pronounce or spell. This is confusing and will make your brand sound funny and unserious.

Simplicity is always the best.

2. Never use a name that is similar to that of your competitors in your field of business.
For instance, someone decides to pick a name close to ours, “Geeksvillage” and he chooses Greekvillage”.
This sounds so much alike and has almost the same spelling.

If you try this, people will be confused.

3. Make your business name short.
As a new business owner, you don’t want to use a name that is so lengthy and frustrating to pronounce and memorize.

For instance, you pick a business name like “Pulchritudinous Fashionista Home of Beauty Enterprise”. The mere mention of this sounds laughable.

So pick a name that is shot and catchy.

4. Seek honest validation from your friends and family.
When you come up with a business name(s), ask your friends online/offline, and also your family members, to see what they feel about the name.

Follow their sincere answers and change it if possible.

5. Take time to memorize the name and make sure it sounds good to your ears after some time.
You may have picked a name out of excitement and it’d sound so good.

However, you may have to ponder over it again and again to see if it’d still sound as exciting as it sounded when first picked.

6. Avoid names that have geographic limitations.
For example, the name of a specific location, city or state.
This would give you trouble in the long run if you plan to expand outside that location in the future.

7. Be certain that the name has domain availability.
As time goes on, you may have the need to expand your business and the need for a website will be there. At that point, you’d need a domain name that matches your business name.

Before you decide on a name, go to a platform like Namecheap(dot)com, and see if the name you picked would be available as a domain.

8. Go for a name that would accommodate the future.
As a baker pick a business name that can give you room to expand in the future. Rather than going for a name like “Just Cakes”, go for names like “Cakes and More”.

The “More” in this context, represents all other branches in the hospitality business.

9. Go make findings to check if the name you picked is trademarked.
What do I mean by trademark?
The term trademark refers to a recognizable insignia, phrase, word, or symbol that denotes a specific product and legally differentiates it from all other products of its kind. It exclusively identifies a product as belonging to a specific company and recognizes the company’s ownership of the brand.

If you ignore this important aspect, you may face legal issues in the future. Get a CAC expert to help you out.

10. As soon as you’re settled with the name get it registered with CAC even if it is just a business name before branding it fully. Before someone else makes a fast move on it. Sometimes we all thing of a particular idea at the same time.
The smartest get it faster.

As an agent, we have seen lots of clients either change or alter their preferred name because it was already taken when they finally decided to register.

Need a CAC agent?
Geeksvillage is here to help out with your business names and branding, prints and website.

Contact us on 08032345148
Office: 15B, Primal Tek Plaza,
Pen Cinema, Agege, Lagos.