Ask yourself whether you are going to like the name Blue Pig or Spotted Zebra in one month, one year and even ten years. Will you get tired of the name? If the name really means something to you and it’s not just a cool sounding name, then by all means go for it.

1. Don’t get too fancy with the wording

  1. Innov8
  2. Xpresions2BU
  3. GR8 Date
  4. Xcav8

The biggest problem with names that try to be too fancy is that the spelling is usually difficult to remember and you risk losing word of mouth traffic because no one can find you on the internet or in the telephone directory.

2. Check if the domain name is available
This will help you to see if there are other businesses with the same name and even if you are not planning on having a website developed initially, my advice would be to register the domain so that when you do decide to get a website, there won’t be any problems of duplicate business names.

3. Check if the business name is available
Even if you plan on operating as a sole proprietor in the beginning, you might want to register your business as a close corporation down the line, in which case you should check out www.Cipro.co.za to see if the name has already been taken or if similar names exist. Remember that Cipro is not likely to reserve your chosen business name if it’s similar to someone else’s name.

4. The name of the company should be congruent with the type of business
For example, you wouldn’t name your physiotherapy practice, “Ubercool Physiotherapy” or your medical company “Rockin Medical Supplies”. It just doesn’t suit the professional nature of the business. “Rockin Graphics”, however, is more suited to a company that does graphic design or signage.

5. The name should be memorable or descriptive
Is the name memorable or is it too generic or too long to remember? For example,  “Global I.T Computer Consultants” is generic and forgettable. I would however remember a name like “Geeks on Call” far more easily because it is unique and catchy.

A business name together with a logo and tagline is often the first impression that one would get when dealing with a business and hence it is crucial to spend time putting this together, even during the frantic phases of getting a start-up off the ground.