Choosing A Business Name And Brand

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When I started my business in April of 2009 I decided to test the waters. The economy had crashed and I knew small businesses needed help. After registering Jamie Teasdale, LLC with Oregon, I took the first 10 months to determine what small businesses needed, what they were willing to pay for, and what I really loved and was skilled at. Then, I knew, it was time to rebrand and choose an appropriate business name and brand…

In July of 2010, after 5 diligent and long months of brainstorming and rebranding with Think Fiction, I threw a relaunch party and announced my new brand, Propel Businessworks. Deciding on a name, tagline, and logo was an incredible process, but one I knew I needed to get right, so I took the time.

Here are a few recommendations I make when choosing a business name and brand:

  • Make sure the name is easy to spell, read, and say. It can be a “misspelled” version of a word, which will make it unique, but it has to be memorable.
  • Check with the Secretary of State to ensure the name isn’t already taken. In Oregon, visit http://filinginoregon.org/ to see if your name concept is available.
  • Check on the availability of the URL, or a version of it. If you can’t have the URL, or it would cause confusion with another brand or company, consider going a different route.
  • Check social media sites to see if the profile name has already been grabbed. That may help you decide on spelling or the name in general.
  • Consider the services or product you’ll be providing and plan for the future. If you know you want to offer copywriting now, but you could see the possibility of offering email marketing and/or social media in the future, keep that in mind and choose a name that will encompass any/all you want to do.
  • Run your idea past a handful of trusted mentors or business people you respect.

If you are considering a rebrand or thinking of launching your own business, keep these steps in mind. And, like I always say, begin as you mean to finish!

Jamie Teasdale

Jamie Teasdale founded Propel Businessworks, a small business development company, in 2009. Since then, she has been lending insight and creativity to businesses all over the U.S., giving them the tools they need to plan, promote, and prosper.

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