Your business begins with a name. It’s the cornerstone of your company identity and impacts your branding, company tone, and first impressions. Think about it. The branding of Target would be very different if the retailer still went by its original name, Dayton Dry Goods Company.

Great product and company names are simple, unique, and easy to remember. After all, what good is word of mouth marketing if your customer tells a friend, “You really should look up my caterer for your event. I think their name begins with an A…”

Here are some tips on finding a great brand name that will work for your business:

1. Naming is the first act of branding. Your business name sets the tone for all that follows. When brainstorming potential names, consider what’s important to you and your business. What’s the first thing you want a customer to think about with regard to your business? Your tone can be playful or academic, edgy or professional. Just make sure it reflects what your business is all about.
2. Descriptive names work well. A descriptive name helps frame your company better than a generic one. For example, Speedy Electronics vs. Speedy. Adding this qualifier lets potential customers instantly know what you’re about.
3. Don’t box yourself in. Don’t limit your company brand with too-detailed a description; you might end up expanding your offerings down the road. Imagine where you want your brand to go in the future. How will your brand evolve?
4. Do Not Use Initials (DNUI!!!). It’s very difficult to create an emotional connection using a random collection of letters. In addition, you’ll end up juggling two different business names: the initials and the name spelled out.
5. Watch out for language pitfalls. A word in English may have a negative meaning in another language or culture. Test your name on target audiences; they may see something you missed. It’s also not uncommon for a business owner to sometimes miss an awkward pun or double meaning (does that nail salon owner know what ‘Get Nailed’ means?).
6. Give a new name time to sink in. It takes some time for a new name to feel right. You may need to use your name for several months before it starts to sound natural to you. This is particularly true with names that are often the beaten path…which often make up some of the most memorable and impactful names. Just imagine the initial reaction in the boardroom to a name like Google.
7. Don’t go it alone. Naming is a challenging event that demands perspective; get an outsider’s opinion in the process. It’s best to brainstorm a dozen or so potential names. Poll your family and friends, and be sure to include your target demographic in this informal focus group.

Most importantly, don’t get too attached to any one name during the brainstorming process. It’s all too tempting to begin envisioning your company logo, web design, signage, business cards, and more. But you’ve got to make sure that perfect name is actually available to use. You definitely don’t want to be on the wrong end of a trademark dispute.

To find out if you’re legally permitted to use a name, you should do the following:

• Search corporate names in the secretary of state’s database in the state where you’re planning on setting up your business by using a trademark search engine. The USPTO offers one here.
• Conduct a trademark search to see if your name is available to use at the federal level. My company, CorpNet.com, offers a free Trademark Search that’s a great place to start to see if your name is available to use nationwide.
• You should also make sure that domain names are available with .com, .net, .biz and other relevant domain extensions.

Have you already named your business? What process did you follow? Do you have any advice or tips to give those starting out?