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Five Tips for Naming Your Company

Top10.com Staff
Five Tips for Naming Your Company
To get a company incorporated in most states, you need to come up with a unique name for it. The name typically needs to be dissimilar from any other company name in the state, and it can't be misleading or deceptive. Aside from those basic ground rules, though, how are you supposed to come up with a name for your company?

Before doing any serious brainstorming, here are a few things you should keep in mind: 

Convey a Benefit

Upon hearing the name of your business, a person should have at least a basic idea about the types of services or products that it offers. In other words, the name of your company should convey the benefits that it provides. If you own a car wash business, the name doesn't have to include the term "car wash." It should, however, convey ideas relating to cleanliness, speed, affordability and other benefits that customers can expect to enjoy by bringing their cars there.

Check for Trademarks

If you're planning on trademarking the name of your business, test out the names you're considering before getting too attached to any of them. Nothing is more disappointing or frustrating than choosing a name, deciding to trademark it later and finding out that it's already trademarked elsewhere. Checking for trademarks is as simple as visiting the United States Patent and Trademark Office's website at www.uspto.gov.

Don't Be Generic

Choose a name that stands out from the crowd and is easy to remember. Repeat business is a great way to stay profitable and to grow and expand through the years, and having an easy-to-remember name can help with that enormously. It's fine to come up with generic names in the beginning, but play around with them a little to come up with more unique and interesting names. At the same time, don't take it too far. If the name of your company is too quirky, people won't know what to make of it.

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Make Sure it Sounds Good

Whatever you do, don't choose a company name that's a real mouthful. Say the name that you're considering out loud over and over again. If it's more like a tongue-twister than a clear, understandable name, ditch it for something else. Similarly, select a name that's easy to spell. This is especially important nowadays, when people search for companies they know online. If the name of your business sounds weird and is too tricky to spell, it's not going to be as beneficial for you in the long run.

Do Some Online Research

Perform online searches for the name that you're considering for your incorporated business. What appears in the top results? This will clue you in to how easy - or not-so-easy - it will be to attain a decent web presence. Use Google's AdWords search tool to deepen your search and to potentially come up with even more ideas.

Once you're satisfied with the name you've selected, you'll be one step closer to getting your business incorporated and to making it as successful as possible.

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Top10.com Staff
Top10.com's editorial staff is a professional team of editors and writers with dozens of years of experience covering consumer, financial and business products and services.