How to name your startup?

“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;”

When I think about names (people, startups, anything!), the first thing I am reminded of is this Shakespearean quote. A rose would smell as sweet even if it was known by any other name. But does that hold good for startups?

Choosing a name for your startup is very important – the name will do all the talking. It will represent you and the founders, the team and the product/ service your firm offers. It can be a very intimidating task to come up with an easy, simple yet unique name for your business – which will talk about what you do.

People are often stuck up in a pool of ideas and names suggested by loads of people – but are unable to decide the final name. Some are too big, some are difficult to remember, while others are too common. If you are in a lot of confusion while naming your business, don’t worry! That is a natural stage you eventually reach.

To help you come out of that confusion, here are few tips to help you name your startup –

1. Don’t get stuck in the alphabet puzzle: Don’t just choose a name merely because it starts with your favourite alphabet or any such reasons. Make sure the name you choose, represents your product/ service that is offered.
2. Get creative: Come up with creative names, but again don’t make it too complicated for the customers to remember your startup’s name. Keep it unique and let the name speak about your startup.
3. Don’t pick a too long or too short name. It must be just appropriate
4. Stay away from short forms or code words that only you are aware of. Use words that the customers are familiar of
5. Do not use the word “.Inc” unless your firm is actually incorporated
6. Take help from expert: An expert might be able to give you a list of names that will suit your business type. Once you have a list ready the shortlisting work is yours, but at least you have few potentially viable names.
7. Ask yourself “What do you want to communicate through the name”: Ask yourself this question before selecting a name. The answer to this question might just give you the right name for your startup.
8. Test the popularity of name: NO! Don’t go live with the name to test the popularity. Instead you could conduct a small survey with a sample size of say, 60-70 people and see what they understand by this name.
9. Get your name trademarked once you have the final name: Your state might not want a trademark has a compulsory rule, but it is always better and safe. Getting your name trademarked will give you the assurance that nobody else has the name you chose, nor will anybody use this name in the future.

There are lot of online tools over the web that will help you choose the perfect name for your startup. You could try websites like Cool Name Ideas, Business name Generator etc.   Do not settle for anything less than perfect while selecting a name. This is because the firm name will represent you, your doings and your visions, missions.

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