5 Things To Consider When Naming Your Brand

Choosing your name is guaranteed to be one of the hardest choices to make for your business. Depending on how well you choose, it will either be one of the best or worst choices you make. Your brand name will be the main identifier, it will be the one thing that people remember so it's important to make sure you consider your options and make a decision that will benefit your business for years to come. That is why I thought I'd share some of my best tips to think about when naming your brand! 

These are the exact things that I considered, and as a result, the main reasons why I have been able to continually expand my brand and the services that I offer without any limitations. 

5 Things To Consider When Naming Your Brand...

1. DOES IT REFLECT YOUR 'WHY'?

Think about your 'why', your mission or aim for the brand, and also think about what you want your brand to represent. It's important to ensure that everything about your business name aligns with your actual business. So make sure it is clearly representational of your brand. This means that even if you choose to name your brand something obscure, use your tagline and key phrases to ensure that your brand name ties into the business or the products and services your business offers. 

2. DOES IT ALLOW YOU TO PIVOT?

If you are early on in your business, niching your brand may not be the best way to start unless you have tried and tested your niche, as well as testing your own passion for it. Try to think years ahead, not just the next few months. If you can see an ideal goal that you want to work towards, make sure that your brand name aligns with it.

3. ARE YOU PLANNING ON HIRING A TEAM?

One thing I've learned is that when hiring a dedicated team, it's much easier to do so when you have a company name rather than just a personal name. Employees want to feel valued and like they are part of a much bigger purpose than just serving a solo-owned brand. So having a name that is not person specific, allows for a more inclusive workspace and in-house environment. In saying that, if you manage your business and team the right way, and make a point to be inclusive with your brand language, mission, and especially on your social media, it is more than possible to create a positive and valued work environment for your team under your own name. 

4. IS THE NAME AVAILABLE?

Ensuring that your ideal business name is available on all platforms, is incredibly important! Start by choosing your name and then testing it's availability on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest etc. and most importantly, check if the domain name is available for your potential website. You can do this my using a service called Namechk. Once you've ensured that your name is available, be quick to secure them as yours. Even if you're not ready for an Instagram or even a website yet, do yourself a favour and create the necessary accounts and purchase the domain ahead of time. No matter how original your name is, it can be taken out from under you in a second. 

5. COULD THERE BE ANY LEGAL ISSUES?

This one isn't incredibly important until you have properly established yourself, but I recommend making sure that all your bases are covered. This could mean a number of things. Start by making sure that you aren't using any words or phases that you technically can't use. For example, don't add Inc. to the end of your business name unless your company is actually incorporated. It's the same with trademarking, don't use a TM unless your name is actually trademarked. Once you've actually decided on a name, it's important to make sure that you legally register it in your country. Also, as an added precaution. I would do my research and see if there are any brands or businesses with similar names to yours. Just make sure that you represent yours in the correct way and as a courtesy, don't stray too far into how they represent theirs. It's far too easy these days to get sued, so just make sure you're doing everything the right way!