Settling on the Perfect Brand Name for Your Business

To customers, a brand name represents what a business does and how it does it. A brand name can convey cheapness (Dollar Store), luxury (Ritz Carlton), trendy fashion (Urban Outfitters), etc. Since a brand name encapsulates your business' image, a great deal of care should go into trying to find the perfect name. Here are some ways to hone in on the best name for your business:

The image - Before you begin thinking of names, you'll need to decide on the image that you want your business to have. Are you trying to convey that you have luxury products, that you are experts in a particular industry, or maybe that you're all about fun and excitement? Once you've figured out the type of image you want your business to have, you can then move on to thinking of a brand name that will evoke that image.

Brainstorm - This will take the most time in your name search and should be done in several sessions and with as many people as possible - either together or separately. Write down as many name ideas as you can that you feel adequately convey the business image you are after. Keep a thesaurus, dictionary, encyclopedia, magazines, synonym finders and word-association books nearby to help keep the ideas flowing. However, don't confine brainstorming to just a specific sit-down session, as inspiration can come anytime, anywhere. Keep a notepad and pen with you at all times and keep an open mind while at the museum, the park or even the grocery store!

Get creative - For the names you came up with, start using language translators in Greek, Latin, Japanese, German, whatever, to come up with another list of interesting brand names. Many brand names have been born this way, and you never know, your perfect name could be waiting for you in another language - you just have to take the time to find it.

Tips on creating a memorable brand name:

Avoid generic names - Names like Bob's Tools or Amy's Hair Supplies are hard to remember, totally uncreative and are nearly impossible to trademark.

Avoid overly-descriptive names - Descriptive names (like Home Depot, Travelocity and Playschool) are great but overly-descriptive names (like Bar Stool Retailers or Computer Repair Service) are overused and unmemorable.

Avoid geographical names - Names like Westside appliances and Springfield Party Supplies are not only unmemorable and image lacking, but they can be limiting if your goal is to expand or try to reach a national audience through a website.

Keep it short - A name that is too long is easy to forget and easy to confuse with another business. Two words are good, but one word is better.

Make it easy to pronounce - Being creative is great, but getting overly creative with the spelling isn't. Top Dawg may be a cute name for a pet store, but Phido's Phancy Phootwear is just ridiculous.

Once you have come up with a list of your top five name choices, show your list to as many friends and family as possible and get their honest opinions about the names. Ask what they feel each brand name represents, what kind of image it evokes, etc. You might find that one is a standout winner, or you might find that none of them are representing your business in the way you hoped. The most important thing to remember is, don't compromise or settle on a brand name, as it will be around for the life of your business!