Can I Put Acronym After My Business Name When I Register The Business

Today'south post is about 7 pitfalls to avoid when you create a brand and concern proper name.

Your business name is an important element that's direct linked to your power to grow.

Your business name tin brand your brand or it can break it.

Don't hinder your progress by painting yourself into a corner with a name that volition agree yous back.

Learn what to avert and what to do when you lot create a brand and business name by fugitive the seven traps here.

1. Avoid initials or acronyms when you create a brand and business organisation name

The commencement thing to aim for when y'all create a brand is communication. Ideally, your business name says what you offering in an instant.

Acronyms and initials may not make much sense to someone who comes beyond them.

Avoid them. Instead, aim for a proper noun that says what yous offer in clear language.

2. Steer articulate of similar-sounding names

Creating a brand and business name that's similar to something that'due south already known in your marketplace may seem like a good idea. Just why spend your marketing dollars trying to differentiate your business from your competitors' businesses because your names are so similar?

Don't exist afraid to come up with a name that'south unique and will stand out from what's already out there.

three. Stay away from your ain name

If you're simply starting a new business, selling it and handing information technology over to someone else might be the terminal thing y'all'd retrieve about.

Only it happens every mean solar day. People build a profitable business organisation they name after themselves and suddenly they're fielding offers from interested buyers.

Part of what the buyers look at when valuing a company is "make equity."

If a business organization has laid the background for a strong, recognizable brand over many years, that's worth real money.

If you've used your personal name as your business name and you plan to go out from the daily operations of your business, that make equity volition become with yous.

Your company won't exist equally valuable if your name is on it — merely yous're not around.

There are exceptions, of course. If you're a counselor, attorney, life charabanc or artist, for case, it might make sense to utilise your ain name equally your business proper noun. Yous are your concern, and then stating your name and crafting a tagline that explains what y'all do may be all you need.

But those businesses aren't easy to sell or hand over to someone else: they're very dependent on the work of one person. Keep this in mind and choose carefully.

4. Don't become likewise specific

One of the most hard aspects of naming your business is that information technology happens so early on. When you're but starting your business concern, yous may non know exactly what you'll focus on yet, or who your ideal customer will be.

That's why it'south best to avert ultra-specific names that are tied to a item production or service, like Rattan Rockers Inc. (what if they want to offering wicker article of furniture?), or Just Desserts Deliveries (what if they decide to expand into delivering sandwiches?).

v. Don't be generic (and forgettable)

I know, I know. I just told you not to be as well specific, and at present I'm saying not to be too generic!

Information technology's important that either your company proper noun or your tagline explain what yous offer. For more on this, read How to Write a Terrific Tagline.

It'south all-time to avoid names like Fernstone, Inc., Marvin & Sons, and TheGilberton Visitor. These names say aught and mean nothing. Using a name like this means you'll have to spend valuable time establishing what you practice before y'all tin can move on to building trust and condolement.

6. Avoid made-up words as y'all create a brand and company proper noun

Xerox.
Google.
Kodak.

They could afford to pour their coin into establishing the meaning of the fabricated-upwards words they used for brand names. Can you?

If you lot're running a small concern and your marketing budget is tight, chances are you can't.

Don't be too clever when you lot create a make and visitor name. Stick to using words that already have a significant rather than making up words and having to explain yourself.

7. Steer clear of trends (they guarantee obsolescence)

Allied Carbon Paper.
Dave's VCR Rental.
United Water ice Cake Home Delivery.

These businesses may have existed at one time, but not anymore. They built names effectually specific technologies, and those technologies disappeared.

Be aware that this may happen to the business organisation y'all're building right now. Focus on the do good your product or service will offer and don't mention the technology yous'll utilise to offer it.

Bonus pro tip: Bank check the availability of a URL before you create a brand and company name

The website you create for your new business volition be i of your almost important marketing tools.

Earlier you commit to a business name, be sure you lot can discover a website address — a domain name — for your favorite name.

Domain names catastrophe in .com are the industry standard, and so don't plan to grab the .biz version of the name you desire if the .com isn't available. Doing that is a sure way to send lots of visitors to the website of the possessor of the .com URL.

Instead, keep searching until you discover a proper noun that meets the criteria in this post and is available for purchase.

Related: Should You Build a Personal Brand or a Business Brand?

Related: How to Choose a Business Proper noun Yous'll Beloved Today, Tomorrow, and Five Years from Now

This post was originally published on March 21, 2012. It'due south continually updated with new data and resources.