Business Names Ideas:

How to Name Your Business

The best business names ideas:

• Describe the service or product that your business offers

• Can be protected by trademark or service mark

• Are Novel

Naming your business is not something you want to do on a whim or while hanging out with your friends at the Friday night happy hour, it requires thought and planning. Your business name should give people an idea of the exact nature of your business. However, you want a name that is not too specific and can cover a number of related services. For example, Bob’s Boat Repair is very specific if Bob can also restore and paint antique boats he may have boxed himself in and perspective clients will not know all bob can do. Try to think of a business name that will grow with your business over time and not limit it.

Tips for selecting your best business names ideas:

• Your own name, if you have a reputation or plan to grow one

• Your name with a tag line or motto

• A keyword optimized web site name.

• A name that communicates a primary benefit

• A name that describes your specialty

• A made-up name that suggest what you do or how you do it

Now that you have see general guidelines about the kind of names you should go with, you should also think about the kind of business names ideas you should avoid:

• Overused

• Politically incorrect

• Sound-alike Names

• Neutral

• Confusing

When you decide on a name, register it with both your county and state officials. This registration, also known as DBA, “doing business as”, protects you from someone else using your name for their business. (Assuming the name you picked has not been registered by someone else), and permits you to conduct business using that name. Contact you county clerk’s office and your state business office for the procedure. You then can open a bank account, cash business checks, arrange for business telephone line and conduct general business activities under your business name.

Before you decide on and register a name. It is also a good idea to conduct a trademark search to ensure your name is not being used by anyone and is not used as a registered trademark. It will help you avoid any possible legal conflicts. You can do this several ways:

1. Visit one of the Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries (PTDL), which have directories of federally registered trademarks plus an online database of registered marks and applications for trademarks awaiting approval. To find a PTDL in your state visit the web site http://www.uspto.gov or call the PTO’s office at 1-800-786-9199.

2. Use your favorite Internet search engines

3. Hire a professional trademark expert or service.