This week we have a guest blog from Grant Polachek at Squadhelp.com. Read on for Grant’s tips and strategies involved in choosing a business name.

The Essential Guide to Choosing a Business Name: Expert Tips and Strategies - Picture of domain name examples

When starting a new business, choosing the right business name is crucial. A good business name can help establish your brand identity, differentiate you from your competition and attract customers. It is the first impression that potential customers have of your company and it can significantly impact the success of your business.

One important consideration when choosing a business name is the availability of a matching domain name.

Many premium domains are short, memorable, and easy to spell, making them desirable for businesses looking to establish a strong online presence.

While purchasing premium domains may be more expensive upfront, it can pay off in the long run by helping you stand out from the competition and making it easier for customers to find and remember your website.

Setting The Stage for Success: Research and Brainstorming Business Names and Premium Domains

Before settling on a business name, it is important to take the time to research and brainstorm potential names.

This process will help you identify the qualities that you want your business name to embody and ensure that the name you choose aligns with your brand values and target audience.

Understanding your target audience

It is imperative to understand your target audience as thoroughly as possible. What are their needs, values, and preferences? How will your business meet those needs, and what message do you want to convey to your target audience through your business name and premium domain?

Identifying your brand values and unique selling points

Consider your brand values and what makes your business stand out from the competition. What do you want your business name and premium domain to represent and convey to potential customers?

Generating a list of potential names

77% of consumers purchase a product based on the brand name rather than the product’s name. With this information in mind, start generating a list of potential business names and premium domain names.

Try to come up with a variety of options that align with your target audience, brand values, and unique selling points.

How To Test and Refine Business Name Ideas and Premium Domains

How to name a business image

Seeking feedback from friends, family, and potential customers

Once you have successfully made a list of potential names, it can be helpful to seek feedback from friends, family and potential customers. Ask them what they think of the names on your list and which ones stand out to them.

Evaluating the name’s potential for success

In addition to seeking feedback, it can be helpful to evaluate the potential success of each name on your list. Consider how well the name aligns with your target audience, brand values, and naming criteria.

Adjusting and refining as needed

Based on the feedback you receive and your own evaluations, you may need to adjust and refine your list of potential names. Don’t hesitate to go back to the drawing board and generate a new list of names if necessary.

The aim is to find a name that is memorable, relevant, and aligns with your business goals.

Finalising and protecting the name

After researching, brainstorming and testing potential names, it’s time to finalise and protect the name for your business.

This includes securing a matching domain name and social media handles, as well as considering trademark registration to protect your business name and prevent others from using it.

Consider all of the feedback you have received, as well as how well the name aligns with your target audience, brand values, and naming criteria. Ensure you choose a name that your customer connect with. 94% of consumers report that they recommend brands with which they have an emotional connection.

Securing a domain name and social media handles

Once you have chosen the final name, it’s important to secure a matching domain name and social media handles as soon as possible.

While helping you establish an online presence, this will equally make it easier for customers to find and connect with you. If you are considering purchasing a premium domain, now is the time to do so.

Protecting the name through trademark registration

This process involves submitting your business name to the government for review and, if approved, receiving exclusive rights to use the name for your business. Trademark registration can also help prevent issues with conflicting trademarks and ensure that your business name is uniquely associated with your brand.

Conclusion

By following the expert tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you have taken the first steps toward creating a memorable and unique name for your business.

Remember, choosing a business name is just the beginning – there is always room to refine and adjust as your business grows and evolves. With the right name and a strong brand identity, you can set the stage for success and attract customers who are passionate about what you do.

As the head of branding at Squadhelp.com, a company that has earned recognition as a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree for its pioneering naming services, Grant Polachek has scrutinised over a million names and compiled a list of the most widely utilised names currently present on the web. In addition to its accolades, Squadhelp is also the foremost crowdsourcing naming provider globally, offering its expertise to Fortune 500 organisations and fledgling ventures alike.

I find Shelley’s training easy to follow and the very best thing is that you can do it all at your own pace and revisit modules if it doesn’t quite sink in the first time round! I have learned so much from her training and continue to do so! She is responsive to my questions and I learn something new with each module. I find Iam hardly ever having to Google or YouTube information now, so it really is saving me time in my work day. Time that can be better used by learning more about the business I operate in!
Thanks Shelley!

Tracey Whitehouse – Executive Assistant

I have been following Shelley on Linkedin for several years, and always loved her hints and tips. In May of this year, I had the opportunity to recommend Shelley as one of our workshop speakers at the annual HMC Heads’ PA Conference in Sheffield.

On receiving the brief Shelley quickly produced content for two IT Microsoft Skills Workshops covering nuggets from Outlook, Word and Excel. Shelley then delivered (virtually) these two fantastic workshops to over 60 PAs at our conference.

From initial enquiry to delivery Shelley is the consummate professional and it was my pleasure to have had the opportunity to engage with her.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Shelley to any individual or group.

Michaela Fletcher – Heads PA

Shelley is THE guru on all things Microsoft.

I love Outlook, use it every day, and think I have a pretty good understanding of it. But every time I attend one of her sessions I learn a lot more. Her knowledge is remarkable. And she delivers her knowledge in a really clear, engaging way.

Thanks Shelley

Kathy Soulsby

I have just spent less than an hour at one of Shelley’s presentations and my mind is truly blown! I thought I was fairly proficient in Outlook, but I had no idea it could do so much more! So many time saving tips and shortcuts to help me – I can’t wait to get stuck in and implement them all! Thank you Shelley – I would highly recommend!

Hayley Rose – Executive Assistant -Dalcour Maclaren

Shelley joined us for the annual HMC Heads’ PAs conference in May 2023, where she delivered two hands-on practical IT skills workshops for over 60 PAs in attendance. Both sessions were warmly received by all participants, and from a personal perspective it was an absolute pleasure for me to work with Shelley both offline in the extensive prep phase ahead of the sessions, and online during the day itself – sharp in subject knowledge, flexible in content delivery and everything executed with a really affable manner and “can-do” approach throughout. I would recommend her services wholeheartedly.

Gareth Johnson – Leader GRE Education

Heads PA Conference

The session was well structured and the explanation was very clear. It was amazing how Shelley managed to squeeze so much info in just one hour and a half! Colin’s support and contributions were also very valuable, and so were “Virtual Veronica”‘s. Thank you for a most interesting and useful training session at the Miss Jones Virtual Summit!

Laura Carizzo- Royal Norwegian Embassy in Argentina

I haven’t used PowerPoint in 20 years, this has really boosted my confidence.

Lyn Parker

Course is packed with so much valuable information in a easy-to-understand and follow language, even for a complete beginner. I can respect the fact that sometimes it’s very hard for an expert to break the information down to basics. but Shelley has done it brilliantly. I was sure that I knew quite a bit but Shelley has proven me wrong even at the very beginning of the basics of PowerPoint. Lessons are short and precise which allowed me to easily transfer the new skill into practice without being overwhelmed and to carry on adding on more with each lesson. I had so many ‘Aha!’ moments and for most of them I couldn’t believe I used to pay graphic designer to do it for me, now, thanks to Shelley, I am looking forward to creating, designing, converting my presentations all by myself!

Iva Freeman – Vertex Human Capital

Shelley was very thorough and knew a lot of tip’s for using Teams, thank you 🙂

James O’Connor – Cavannah Homes

Very informative, constantly getting everyone in the meeting involved, loved every bit of it!

Dylan Teal Hopkins – Cavannah Homes
Fantastic and informative training and great to see all of the exciting functions with Microsoft Teams.
Laura Rigby – The Apprenticeship College
Shelley was really clear in her teaching and went at a pace that was helpful to us. We covered all we needed to know to get us started, as a small team, using MS Teams. She was also very helpful in the run up to the session, with check in calls and ensuring our platform was set up correctly. I would highly recommend Shelley to anyone wanting to learn to navigate their way around MS Teams.
Leigh Dowling – Innuous

Microsoft Teams One to One Training Session

Shelley was approachable, easy to work with, and agile with answering questions to apply the session to my specific needs

Melissa Marshall – Present Your Science

A course on Outlook had been on the top of my list when Shelley asked VA’s what they wanted to learn. It was a real case of ‘so that’s how you do it’ or ‘I never knew that’. I have to say that I learnt so many great tips it has definitely improved the way I work in Outlook and my inbox is looking colourful and organised and I can’t wait to share this knowledge with my clients.

Jacqueline Leake – JLeake VA Services – Outlook

A great course with lots of examples and step by step instructions. I can now confidently create infographics and as a bonus, I learnt a lot of new PowerPoint functionality that will enhance all my PowerPoint work and save me so much time.

Jessica Bailey – Integral Resource

I really like Shelley’s courses. She has a clear and easy to follow teaching style. In ‘How to Create Fillable Forms’ I’ve learned about the functions of the Developer ribbon which will mean I’ll be able to create a bespoke Returns Form for a client who has an online shop

Freya Henderson – Virtual Office Orkney