How to Name Your Small Business

Start with what the name has to do

Your name should signal what you do or how you feel, be simple to spell, and still work if you add services later.

Before brainstorming, write down three things: who your customer is, what problem you solve, and how you want to be remembered. Then set rules for the name.

• Easy to say and spell. If people must spell it twice over the phone, it costs you referrals.
• Room to grow. "Joe's Lawn Mowing" is hard to stretch into landscaping design. A broader name gives you space.
• Not too narrow geographically. A city name helps local search now and hurts if you expand.
• Distinct. Avoid names that sound like larger brands in your industry.

Descriptive names rank and explain quickly. Invented or abstract names are more ownable but need more marketing to carry meaning.

Brainstorming methods that produce usable names

Combine keywords, benefits, place names and invented words, generate a long list fast, and cut it down using your rules.

Aim for 30 to 50 candidates in one sitting without judging. Try these approaches:

1. Descriptive. Service plus place or trait, such as a plumbing company named for its region.
2. Benefit-driven. A word that implies speed, trust or comfort.
3. Founder name. Simple and personal, but harder to sell later.
4. Compound or invented. Two words fused, or a fresh coinage.
5. Metaphor. An object or animal that stands for your promise.

Say each finalist out loud, text it to someone, and ask them to type it back. Mistyped names reveal problems early. Our guide to small business branding covers how the name connects to your wider identity.

Check that the name is available

Search your state's business registry, the federal trademark database, and domain and social handles before you commit.

Run these checks on every finalist:

• State business records. The Secretary of State or equivalent office lists registered entities. Names usually must be distinguishable from existing ones in your state.
• Federal trademarks. Search the USPTO trademark database for similar names in your field. A conflict can force a rename later.
• Domain name. Look for a .com that matches or comes close.
• Social handles. Consistent handles help customers find you.
• General web search. See whether a similar business already dominates the results.

Our guide to checking business name availability walks through each step. For anything high stakes, an attorney can run a deeper trademark search.

Business name vs. legal name vs. DBA

Your legal name is the one on your formation documents. If you operate under a different trade name, you generally need to register a DBA ("doing business as").

A sole proprietor's legal name is usually their personal name. An LLC or corporation's legal name is the one filed with the state, and it typically has to include an entity designator such as LLC or Inc.

If you do business under any other name, many states or counties require a DBA, also called an assumed name or fictitious name. Where you file differs by state, and some require local publication. Check with your Secretary of State or county clerk.

The name also needs to appear consistently on your bank account, invoices and tax filings. Read our guides on choosing a business structure and how to register a business to get the order right.

Secure the digital basics

Register the domain, set up a professional email address and claim social handles as soon as you decide, even before launch.

Domains and handles are cheap compared with the cost of changing a brand later. Buy the domain you will actually use, and consider the common misspellings only if they are very likely.

Use an email address on your domain, not a free consumer address, for invoices and customer messages. It looks credible and keeps your messages portable.

If you need a website quickly, compare options in our website builder guide and read how to build a website. Make sure your Google Business Profile, if you serve a local market, matches the exact name you registered.

Mistakes that force a rename

The most common problems are trademark conflicts, names too close to a competitor, names that are hard to spell and names that limit growth.

Renaming after launch means new signs, new filings, new bank documents and lost search history. The usual causes:

• Skipping the trademark search and receiving a demand letter later
• Choosing a name that is nearly identical to a bigger local competitor
• Using a trendy spelling nobody can search for
• Naming the business after one product you later stop selling
• Forgetting that a name has to work in speech, on a truck, on a card and in a URL

Test your top two names with ten people in your target market before you decide. Ask what they think the business sells and how they would find it online.

Budgeting for the name and the first signs of cash needs

Budget for filing fees, a domain, branding and signage. These costs are small individually but belong in your startup plan.

Typical costs include state formation or DBA filing fees, domain registration, logo design, signage, business cards and possibly a trademark filing. Fees differ by state and change, so check the official site for the current amount.

List them in your startup budget using our startup costs guide. Keep branding spend proportional; a clear name and a clean logo beat an expensive launch.

Funding comes later. ROI Funder works with established businesses that have 6+ months of operating history and $20,000+ in monthly revenue, so a brand-new venture should plan on savings or other startup sources first. Once you have revenue, working capital can help you grow what the name stands for.