5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Naming – Part 5: Not Dotting All Your ‘I’s
This is Part 5 of our 5 Part Series on 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Naming. Check out Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here and Part 4 here.
Mistake #5: Not “dotting all your Is” and “crossing all your Ts.”
Details. Details. Details.
It always comes down to the details. And, with a name, the details really matter.
When you’ve come up with a great company or product name, don’t forget your work isn’t over. You need to do some simple things to make sure this name can really work:
Say the name aloud. Run it by some friends or colleagues. Answer the phone saying the name you’re choosing. A name can look really great on paper. But, when you speak it, you may realize that is rhymes with something you don’t want it to rhyme with or is hard work to say clearly or, even worse, isn’t clear how it should be pronounced by seeing it written down. Remember: potential customers will hear your name mentioned. Will they like what they hear? Will they know how to spell it when they go looking for you? Will they remember it.
Check the Internet. Be sure you can register a URL that contains the name. Sites such as Joker.com can help you determine if the domain name is available and help you register it. These sites — and a simple google search — can help you find out who else might be using this name.
Avoid trademark problems. Check the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to see if the mark is available – you don’t want to come up with a brilliant name only to find out it’s trademarked by another company in your category. Avoid the legal repercussions of that.
Make sure it works internationally. Even if you’re not planning on expanding outside or your local area, you need to make sure your name works linguistically around the world. We live in a multicultural society, and you don’t want to end up with a name that means something offensive in Urdu (one of the languages spoken in Pakistan).
Conclusion: A lot of people say to us, “Anyone can sit down and come up with a great name.”
Well, it’s true. Anyone can.
But unfortunately, many people come up with names that eventually get them into trouble or paint their business into a corner. Lots can go wrong: the name is already trademarked, the name turns customers off, the name becomes obsolete as the business changes.
The good news is that you can create your own name without hiring a naming firm or consultant. You just need to have a process in place for how to come up with possible name candidates and be sure you narrow it down to the right one. Using the right tools and following good advice from those who have a history of naming successes can make all the difference.
