What is in the name?

What is in the Name? - Freelance WorkTips

Planning to launch your own business? Choosing the right name for your startup business is a critical part of staring your business. It not only distinguishes your business from your competitors but, it also can make the difference between success and failure. The name you choose reflects on what your business is all about and what your potential customers will perceive of your business. Your business name will reflect your company’s values and its distinguishing characteristics.

Moreover, you need to ensure that the name you choose for your business can be registered and is also web savvy i.e. is the domain name available?

Remember there is no singly correct way to choose the right name for your startup business, but the only way your business will succeed if your products or services score well on quality. There are many examples where the business names are ordinary and simple and are doing well in the market. Similarly, there are companies with very unique and catchy names that are not doing very well. So it boils down to this that the business name does create an impression in the mind of the potential customer but , ultimately the quality of your products or services which you offer will decide the future of your startup business.

In general it is advised that the business name should be catchy, simple, and easy to spell and pronounce. Remember that in trying to be catchy and different the name shouldn't be too confusing or vague for the customers to understand or you might end up loosing the customers.

Think about what you want your company name to convey.

The business name you choose will appear on your business cards, letterheads, website, promotional materials, and everywhere else, so you should consider what you want your company name to convey. Service oriented businesses should consider a name that includes or describes what the business does so that it will be easy for their prospective customers to recognise what services the business provides.

It is very important that you think hard before selecting a name for your business because it is going to effect how your customers feel about your business. The more obscure, difficult to pronounce, or spell the harder it will be to remember.

Brainstorm to identify name possibilities.

Once you have decided on what you business name will convey, start your brainstorming sessions. In these sessions think about words that describe your products or services, the benefits of using your products/services. Think of words or phrases that will evoke the feelings you want your customers to feel when they see your business name. Use dictionary, thesauruses, and any other resource which will help you. Form a list, go through any web service and see how many have been taken already. Check www.uspto.gov if the potential business names are not already a trademark.

Once you have shortened the list check the rest of it to see how many have been registered as domain names. This step will likely cut down quite a few potential names away. Lastly, Google your potential online business name in quote to see that no competitor appears on the name you have chosen.

The moment you decide the name of your business, make sure to register it, claim your domain name, your social media identity and if required trademark your name.

While choosing the right name for your business few things to consider:

•While abstract words can be catching, like Yahoo, Google, and Amazon the more obscure a business name the harder it will be to remember and can lead to confusion and set your business back in terms of awareness. So choose a familiar name, which is easy to pronounce and remember.

•Misspelled words not only can make your business name stand out but it can also help you in domain name registration. Examples of misspelled names are flickr, and tumblr. While it may be creative to misspell words it does not always work to your advantage. On the other hand misspelled words will not be easy to lookup in the search engine.

•Two Syllable or Compound words can be used by combining 2 words together to name your business. Examples of this are Facebook, Skillshare. This will not only be useful in making your business name memorable but, it can also help you in registering your domain name easily. Choose words which will not only appeal to you but will also appeal to your potential customers.

•Initials like IBM and Acronyms like AT&T can be used if your business name is long and multiword phrase (an acronym is composed of the first letter of each word in a phrase), but a poorly chosen business name can result in unfavourable acronym.

•The name needs to sound good while saying aloud. Use a name that has meaning and conveys your business message/benefits.

•Avoid names that are too narrow or too literal. So don't use names which will restrict your growth in the future. For example when I started out my business in content writing many of my friends advised me to select a name which had writing or content in the business name, but I decided on "outsource2me", this way when I decide to expand & go into web designing and more I won’t need to change the name of my business.

•You can use Keywords to name you business by making use of words which directly give an idea about the business. No frills, just directly to the point.


In conclusion I would say that it is very important that you think hard before selecting a name for your business because it is going to effect how your customers feel about your business.

As always you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

Have a great and prosperours life.

Branding Your Business

Branding Your Business - Freelance WorkTips

As more and more companies enter the marketplace, many of them small businesses, it’s more important than ever to rise above the competition and establish your reputation. To do this the businesses need to start establishing their brand. The value of your brand sets the benchmark for your marketing potential.
If there are 100 other web designers, or 20 other caterers working in your area, how will you make sure that clients choose you over your competitors? The only way is to create a brand which will allow your target audience to actually look your way and see what you have to offer.

First of all let’s get the definition of brand and branding down. A Brand is a collection of words, images, and ideas which represent and identify a business.

Branding is the process of integrating a company’s brand into everything they do.

Branding is a complete packaging of your business going in the website, emails, promotional videos, letterheads, business cards, etc., but keep in mind that branding is not just your logo, your website or, your business name it’s what your customers perceive about you. With the right branding you can invoke trust, build loyalty and connect with your customers emotionally.

Branding preferably should be done in the early stages as it allows you to jump start on some marketing activities therefore, branding your business should not be taken lightly.

If you own a startupbusiness and planning to make it big in the industry, here are some tried-and-tested tips that will help you establish your brand.

Brand Strategy

Branding is one of the most important aspects of your business, large or small. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.

Your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors. Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too.

Defining Your

Once you've created your brand strategy, the next step is how to define your brand. Here are a few simple tips:

Know your audience:

Your audience is one of the most important factors to consider when putting up a business simply because they are the ones who will buy your product.

Therefore, it is important that you familiarize yourself with your target market, so that you can tailor your products and services according to what they need and want.

Identify your competition:

As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. What it implies in your situation is that you have to identify who your competition are in the market, and then look at their strengths and weaknesses. Look out for areas where you can develop something better or eliminate or minimize your flaws.

Get a great logo: 

Your logo is the face of your brand, so get a logo which incorporates your brand message so that your target market will like and never forget it. Place it everywhere.

Create a website:

Whether you are an online business or a brick-and-mortar shop, create a website for your business. Your website will help not only to showcase your products but also help you to interact with your customers easily. In your website, you can have an about page, your product or services page, a testimonial page, a contact information page, and even an order form page for convenient transactions. Just make sure it resonates your brand message.

Blog regularly:

As an entrepreneur, part of your job is to keep your customers updated not just about your products/services but also of the industry you represent, you can accomplish these by regularly publishing blog posts on your website.

Write about your new products/services or communicate to your customers the latest industry-related event and happenings through a short feature article. If your products require assembly or specific instructions, you can also make tutorials in video format to assist your customers.  The idea here is to provide content that your customers will find highly useful and relatable.

Engage in social media:

To connect with your customers better and learn what they think, establish an active online presence by creating accounts on popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Build your online community, and engage them in virtual conversations.

Your customers are the best judge of your products so ask them for feedback, When they do, don’t forget to thank them for their time and if possible give them some incentives/freebies.

This way, you’ll get to know your customers more and improve your products/services based on their opinion.

Integrate your brand:

Branding extends to every aspect of your business – be it your website, emails, promotional videos, letterheads, business cards, Social Content,Blog,etc

Your brand should be applied in all written communication and incorporated in the visual imagery of all materials, online and offline. Use the same color scheme, logo placement, look and feel throughout. Be consistent and create brand standards for your marketing materials. 

Be consistent:

Customers won't return to you,or refer you to someone else if you don't deliver on your brand promise. So the most important tip above all is consistency. If you can't do this, your attempts at establishing a brand will fail.

Check out the interesting infographic by webs.com below to learn what elements you need to help your brand stand the test of time.

As always you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

Have a great and prosperours life.

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