How to Find the Perfect Startup Name: Tips For a Memorable Company Name – Part 2

Here is part 2 of my recent blog on “How to Find the Perfect Startup Name”

Keep it Short and Sweet

It’s easy to get caught up in all the technical complexity of a startup name. It’s easy to obsess over minor details and lose sight of what’s important. In fact, to someone without a solid entrepreneurial drive, this may sound almost like a petty concern. But, given that a name is one of the first things that everyone sees when looking at your startup, a little confusion can be detrimental to your brand image. For this reason, the best way to keep your startup name simple is to keep it short. At the bare minimum, you want to have your startup name end with a word with five or six letters. Also, do not complicate things by naming it something that  competes with your product idea of startup’s philosophy.

Ready to Launch, Now What?

Here are the critical factors that you will need to consider before deciding on a startup name. The first is the business domain name (BPN). It is the unique name your startup will be using as the brand name for all future purposes. Usually, you should get this one right from the get-go. It is one of the main elements that help you create a truly personalized and powerful brand. However, if you decide to leave it for a later date, be sure to include it on the first few pages of your website, where it will be used as an introduction. The second is the name of your product. Just like a good product name should tell you something about your idea, a good startup name should tell you something about your brand. This will also serve as your sales tool. Choose a name that people can relate to. You might want to name your startup a word that people will easily recognize. For instance, a marketing agency that can help you make your business more visible would ideate around words such as “inbound.” 

Even though there are opposite examples, making sure that your brand name is meaningful is good practice. The name you pick for your startup should definitely have meaning. Even though it’s a silly or far-fetched one as you do not need to mention all the details in the name (unless you want to). But, a good name explains your mission as well as turning heads or raising brows.

Don’t Forget to Include Trademark Information

We can all agree that proper and up-to-date trademark information is important for every startup. However, we often forget to think about this aspect during the initial brainstorming stage. Because trademarks are very difficult to change, you are very unlikely to have a potential competitor who will try to rebrand or steal your name and rebrand you without prior notice. The online world is saturated with similar-sounding names and product or service offerings, so if you fail to include trademark information, you can quickly find yourself sitting on the “upset” side of the table. In my experience, most entrepreneurs do not bother to check their name against even open-source databases such as U.S. and International Trademarks (ITMs).

Conclusion

Before you get started with the naming process, I’ve seen that it is important that you have a rough idea of what type of emotions your startup’s name will raise in people. Also, remember that there are many reasons for why a name might need to be changed later on. When you face this type of a decision, make sure that you have a good reason behind it—you will be ready for a change if you decide that it is the right thing to do. Finally, and most importantly, make sure that you get a second opinion from someone who understands the business and what your company stands for. Remember that you should always get feedback from people who know you and your work intimately. This way, you will avoid making wrong decisions most of the time. 

Anil Uzun