Any advice on what makes a good bizness name?

[tak]

So I've been reading a lot on what to name a business and feel that its very important to have a solid name you can confidently say when talking about it. The problem Im finding is what exactly makes a really good name.

So far heres what I've found:

1) Easy to pronounce. A name like "ax-ios computing" is terrible since people will be searching for "axios" Depending on the industry and your market weird spelling could definitely be a deal breaker.Granted made up names could work too "compaq"

2) Short - esp. for domain name registration. Internationalbusinessmachines.com looks to clustered and people will not want to type that out. IBM.com is a lot better choice

3) Symbols: I've read can't remember where but people remember symbols and logos more so than the brand name.
With the logo comes a certain image to a customers mind. Everyone may not drive a bmw but knows what the logo looks like, and certain images come to mind with "bmw".

If you use your name, making a symbol for it seems rather difficult( im just guessing)

4) Using your own name: seems like it could be a potential problem if you decide to sell your business. Also if your business is a failure your name is tied to it...Makes legal stuff a lot easier though.

5) Geographic locations - unless you own something like an autoshop having the name "Colorado Widgets" Would be limiting yourself to just the Colorado area.


What's you're advice or opinion on the matter? How do you pick a successful name?
Thanks in advance!

 

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[zaiteku]

Short names are good and thinking about the domain is also a good idea. There are certain cases where your own name can be a good name. If you are an artist for example. But it depends on the business.

I use a spreadsheet and just plug names into it for several weeks. I then sort the ones I like and then send the whole thing out to people I trust who will give me the brutal critique about what sounds good. In the spreadsheet you can have a voting system which helps.

From there I pick the best name and start using it even before everything else is used running. If it ends up sucking down the road it's not too late to change it because you most likely have not completed your branding yet. Sometimes you get a lightning strike of a good name and other (most) times it's a bit of a iterative process.

 

[TJPB]

Define your target market, create your brand atmosphere, then dive into your business name. There are to many factors to list. I really wanted a symbol like you mentioned that would be easily recognizable. In the end, I opted for one that is the brand name, logo, and symbol all in one.

 

[DennisD]

I've always been about branding.
If my biz name doesn't say something about the personality of my biz then I reject it.

It's why I use Castleforge Media rather than Dennis Duty Enterprises.
I like my business to stand for something. The name should reflect that.

 

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[jon.a]

1998, Mrs jon and I started a small computer store in a small town in Kansas. We called it Home Town Computers, I thought it was a great name.