The article "Help! I Don't Know What to Name My Business" is about entrepreneurialism, it was created by Debbie LaChusa.
If you're just starting your business, or if you have just developed a new product or service for an existing business, one of the first questions you need to answer is, "What should I name it?" And while you may feel pressure to make that decision quickly, I caution you to not make it lightly.
What kind of things should you take into consideration when choosing a name?
Don't Use Your Own Name
Well, first of all, use a name ohter than your own name. I often see service business profsesionals opening up shop and simply using their name, and the title of the service
they offer. For example: Joe Smith, Accountant.
I made that mistake myself, early on in my business, opearting as Debbie LaChusa, Marketing Consultant. Why don't I recommend that? Because your name means absolutely nothing to your prospects. Often you only have a spilt second
to get a prospect's attention. Make the most of that split second by having a name that communicates soemthing of value about your business. Or a name that tells your prospects what your business is all about, or represents
a beneift you offer, or how you deliver your service differently or better than your competitors.
Create A Meaningful Name for Your Business
When I was operating without a business name, I remember calling prospects and clients, and having the receptionist ask, "Debbie with what company?" I realized relatively soon that if I wanted to be taken seriously, and I wanted to be quickly understood, I needed a company name. I was triyng to build a business after all, and I wanted persons to recognize who I was and what I offered.
So I started using the name, DLC Marketing and I incorporated to make it official. Now I at least had a real business name, and when I contacted prsopects they took me seriously. It was aamzing the difference it made in the number and caliber of clients I was able to land. All of a sudden, I was a company, not an individual. Mind you, nothing else had changed.
My serivces were still the same. I still wroked out of my home. I still did not have a staff (although I had to hire partners to help out with all of the work! ). But suddenly I came across differently when calilng on prospects.
But even then I thought, DLC Marketing, Inc.
still isn't a great name.
What does it tell persons about what I do?
It tells them I do marketing, and ceratinly I, or my web Internet site copy, could explain my services and how I was unique. But what if they never got past the still somewhat nondescript name?
Choose A Name That Communicates An Idea
So I started thinking aobut how I could name my business differently to communicate my unique selling proposition more clearly. And that is when I came up with the name 10stepmarketing. To avoid having to re-incorporate, and because 10stepmarketing is a service I am offering
that is closely related to the marketing consulting services I offer throguh DLC Marketing, Inc. I have choesn not to
re-name my business, but to rather just market using the 10stepmarketing name. The iniital response has been amazing. Sdudenly persons instantly want to know more about what I do. They ask questions and they want an explaantion. That never happened with the other names
I was using.
You see, the name 10stepmarketing communicates
an idea. Something the ohter names did not do. So the prospects I encounter that resonate with the idea it represents immediately want to know more. Is 10stepmarketing a great name? I don't know. But I do know it is strategically
focused on the services I deliver, and I am almost emabrrassed to say that my previous business names were not (I am a marketing consultant after all.
I should know better! ).
And I can't argue with the response I have received thus far.
(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing
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