One of the most important things your company needs is a name. Your name will be the very first thing that almost all of your customers see from you — long before they meet you, they’ll have responded to something (or someone) that told them the name of your business.
So What?
So, if you’re planning on running a professional operation, don’t call it ‘A1 Supplies’ just because you want to be listed first in the phone book. You have to pick a name that says something about you and your business, and that people in your target market will be able to say without feeling stupid.
The Professional Name.
If you’re running a serious business targeted at other businesspeople, you’ll probably want to keep the name sober, but memorable. A good formula is your surname, followed by what you do: ‘Smithfield Tailoring’, or ‘Watson Engineering’. You might also want to add the name of the town where you live: ‘Watson Engineering Anytown’. Little things can make a big difference: ‘Watson & Associates Engineering’ or ‘Watson Engineering Co.’ both sound quite...