3 Business Name Mistakes to Avoid

​At first glance, picking a business name is easy. But quickly you realize that it’s not as easy as you once thought. So after laboring at picking a business name, how do you know if the one you’ve got is good? 

​Here are three mistakes I see people make when picking their business name.

1. Too Cute

​Your business name doesn’t need to be cute. Catchy or memorable, sure! Cutesy, nope. There was a time where cutesy names did well. But we’re past that. Consider who is your target market.  Are you using words that they can connect with?

2. Too Confusing

​Your business name should be somewhat related to what your business is. It doesn't have to be word for word literal, but it should have some indication. Of course you can clarify your business name with a good tagline, but the name itself shouldn’t detract from the message you’re trying to send. 

3. Too Specific

​When your business name is ultra specific it can prohibit you from growing and evolving your business over time. Your business WILL evolve over time. If you pick a name that’s open enough, you won’t have to change it when you adapt your products or services. For example, if your business name is “Sarah’s Pool Cleaning Service” you’ll forever be locked into pool cleaning. If you start with pool cleaning but then realize that your clients could also benefit from patio maintenance, you would confuse potential clients from booking patio maintenance when the name is “Sarah’s Pool Cleaning Service”. A name such as “Oasis Services” allows room for expansion later. A good tagline can change overtime without disrupting your business name. In this example you might start off with “Oasis Services” with “pool maintenance” as your tagline. And as you evolve you can change the tagline to fit your services. 

Consider my recent business name change. Previously my business was called "Girl Who Makes Lemonade". I chose it because it was my Instagram handle, was available, was cute, and I thought it had a nice story behind it. In hindsight, it failed two out of the three mistakes listed here. It's too cute and too vague. What was it? Could be anything, but you're probably thinking about lemonade. Well, it was the previous name for my coaching business. You probably wouldn't have guessed that. It was time for a name and brand change. I chose New Morning Coaching. It's easy to remember, but not overly cute. It's clear, it has coaching right in the name. And it isn't too specific. I could offer courses or one-on-one coaching under the same name without confusing anyone. 

If you need one-on-one help picking your own business name or tagline, book a free coaching session with me today!

​Hey! I’m Christine. I’m a small business coach who helps women who are new to business turn their passion into profit. Your first coaching call with me is completely free, and it’s not a sales pitch. Let me help you sift through the mental clutter and come up with a plan that’ll help you turn your passion into a profitable business.

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