Brainstorming Tips for Creating a Business Name

Here's a few things to keep in mind:

1) Keep your industry, your clients/customers, your advertising plan in mind.

2) The more unique & distinctive a name, the higher the chances that the name is legally available for use. And the higher the chances of obtaining the trademark.

3) Think of your business as having a personality. What kind of image do you want your business to portray?

Specific brainstorming tips:

Think about what you want but more importantly, think about what you DON'T want. If you don't want a 3-word name, don't bother with those. If you don't want non-English words, don't bother with those & so on and so forth.

What are the "types" of names you like? Think about words in their simple forms, e.g. adjectives, Latin roots, mythological names, etc. Compile a listing of the types & then seek out resources, such as books or sites, which specialize in those types.

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How to Choose a Business Name:

Part Four – Know if the Name is Available

Welcome to part 4 of a 4 part series about how to choose a business name.

Here's the schedule:

• 3/12: Know Your Industry
• 3/19: Know Your Customers
• 3/26: Know Your Message/Personality
• Today: Know if the Name is Available

This subject is, obviously, near and dear to me as this is my bread & butter.

A common mistake many new business owners make is assuming that their business name is available simply because:

* the domain name was available
* the fictitious name was available
* the corporate name was available
* internet research showed the name was available
* yellow page research showed the name was available

The above are merely preliminary indications of what business names, service names, and product names are out there. Only comprehensive research will tell you if a name is truly available for use.

Ok, so what is comprehensive research?

Comprehensive research entails searching a variety of files. The first step is a comprehensive search of the pending and registered Federal and State trademark files. Similar names matter too! The search should look for similarities in Sound, Appearance and Meaning, which means looking at synonyms, spelling variations, word placement, translations (if necessary), etc.

The second step is a comprehensive search of US National Common-Law files. This entails searching all incorporation records, all fictitious name/DBA records, Dun & Bradstreet  records, product announcements, newspapers, company directories, etc.

If the research proves clear on both steps, you can then decide if you'd like to file for a State or Federal trademark.

This concludes our 4-part series in choosing a business name. The 4 topics I chose are those that are the ones I think most important. Are there other steps you think should be considered?

TradeMark Express Blog Schedule

The Importance of Creative Naming
Trademark Information

choosing a business name * business name * choosing a company name * company name