Deciding on a business name and logo is one of the most important things you’ll do. When you choose a name and logo for your business you are also choosing an identity. Get your family, friends and/or colleagues together for a business name brainstorming session.
- Your business name must be memorable – but easy to pronounce and spell: Your potential customers need to be able to remember your business name. They also need to be able to find it easily in a phone book, directory or online.
- It has to have a positive connotation: A word’s connotation can be positive, neutral or negative, depending on the emotional associations that people generally make. Consider the connotations of any word you use in your business name. You don’t want a name that sounds great, but which has a weak or negative connotation.
- It should include (if possible) what your business does: Your business name should give people some clues about what you actually do. That’s why hair styling businesses include words such as “salon” or “hair designs” in their names. Including information about what your business does in your business name also makes it easier for potential customers to find your business in phone books and directories (both off and online).
- Your business name and logo; it has to be fairly short: You want people to be able to remember your business name. It’s also important for promotional purposes. You want a business name that will fit well on a business card, look good displayed on a sign or in an ad, and even serve well as a domain name and show up well in search es online. So keep it as short as possible.
- Your logo – the visual element: We all recognise the most well-known brands by their logo alone. Our brains are wired to “see” images when we read or hear language. Your logo can be a powerful aid to customers’ memories (and a powerful advertising tool) Using a logo also helps give your advertising continuity.
