5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Naming – Part 2
This is Part 2 of our 5 Part Series on 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Naming. Check out Part 1 here.
Mistake #2: Limiting Possible Directions for Your Name.
When begin to consider possible names, make sure you don’t limit your naming options. If everyone in your industry includes the same word in their name — whether it’s “glass” or “coaching” or “power — that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to include that word.
The father of American Motivational speakers, Earl Nightingale once said that if you want to be a success in all you do, you should find out what everyone else is doing in your chosen field and then do the exact opposite.
The same holds for naming. Don’t be afraid to go against the current trends in your industry. If people were afraid to against the tide there would be no Apple Computer or Google or Virgin Airways or Yahoo! And now many of these “out there” names define their industries.
We’re not suggesting you do definitely name the opposite of everyone in your industry is, but consider doing something different and looking beyond your industry for inspiration.
Here’s another important point in the process to write things down. What are the names of your main competitors? Make a list. What do they have in common? Why? Are there any gaps?
It can be hard to start thinking of names that don’t echo everyone else’s. After all, those are the names you here all the time when thinking about your industry, right?
Here are some activities you can do to begin to think differently about possible names. (And doing these things will — and should be — fun.):
- Read a good book ,
- Sign up for the “word a day” email from a dictionary web site,
- Browse a store completely outside your industry (e.g., music, clothing, packaging materials, an Asian grocery),
- Study a foreign language,
- Watch late night television or listen to foreign language radio.
Give yourself the permission to be creative. Then, be creative. The best ideas come when you’re not limiting yourself.
Stay tuned to Part 3 of this series.
