Deciding on a name for your business is an important step in getting your business started. You need to finalize on your business name in order to get paperwork filed, opening up a bank account, as well as creating your marketing materials.
The first thing to think about is choosing a name that is easy to spell and to say. A play on words with spelling and pronunciation looks cute, but can cause frustration. You will need to be able to quickly say and spell your business name over the phone. In addition, you dont want a long name.
Once you decide on a name, do a search to see if it is already being used by another company. You will want to check your local yellow pages and online with google.com. You want to avoid using a name too close to another company.
If you are planning on incorporating your business you will also need to check the corporate registrations with your state. In addition with checking for specific corporations, avoid names too close to other possible trademark conflicts.
After you have checked for all these possible name conflicts it is time to check for a domain name. First, look for the domain name that is your exact business name. If it is available, purchase it immediately even if you are not ready for the website to be designed. If your exact name is taken by a company similar to yours, you might want to rethink you business name again. It can be confusing for clients if they type in your business name and another company’s website comes up.