Be in the Business of a Winning Brand Name

Naming your business is like naming your child.

You know you typically have only one shot at getting the idea right. And though it's possible to legally change the name of your business (as it is with a person), it's not a wise move.

So be in the business of a winning brand name with these helpful tips...

Amazon's Remorse

It's reported that Jeff Bezos almost named his company Cadabra. In fact, that story is not true. He actually DID name his new company Cadabra.

He changed it only after he found that people were having trouble spelling it, plus the horrible connotations it has.

He also decided he wanted a name that began with the letter A, although that reasoning doesn't make as much sense now that we're no longer thumbing through the big yellow pages when we need services.

The important lesson to learn is that you've never heard of a company named Cadabra, but you sure know who Amazon is.

Choose a business name that won't make people think of dead bodies, and instead will make them see your business as big and powerful.

One Bad Apple

Steve Jobs, genius of the 21st Century, wanted to name the iMac "MacMan."

Can you imagine? People would be typing in "McMan, Mcmann," "Macmin," and who knows what else.

When you're thinking of a name for your new business, make sure it's something people can't possibly confuse with a 80s arcade game or another obscure piece of history.

You want the public to think of the bright and shiny future, not the horrible polyester they were forced to wear when they were young.

Offended, Anyone?

You can't choose the name you were born with, but you can choose not to use it if you go into business and it could be taken as offensive.

There are lots of examples of really rude/funny/sad business names that are entirely due to the owner's egotistical insistence that the family name be used along with the service or product.

The argument could be made that even bad press is good press, but if you don't want your name to offend the more refined members of the public, stay away from business names that can be misconstrued to mean something other than what you intend.

As the following article looks at, keep in mind these 7 mistakes to avoid when naming your business.

Going Off-the-Wall

If your aim is to be unique, you might want to make up your own word. Plenty of new online companies do it, to various outcomes.

Some leap to the top of page ranks, while others struggle with their seemingly clever word inventions that will never be remembered by anyone, simply because there's no context.

Remember that people remember by association.

If you want to invent new words, it's better to invent new names for your products, not for your actual business. At least with a product, the consumer will have something tangible to relate to the word.

When you have a shortlist of business names you're trying on for size, test them out on your friends and family, and then listen to how they react.

If their first response is, "How would you spell that?" keep searching.