Top 3 Tips for Choosing Your Small Business Name.

What to name my business? That is almost the first question that comes up when you decide you will open your online store, and you probably start thinking about your kids' name, your nickname (yes, Gigi's Corner does sound tempting to use). There is nothing wrong to name your shop based on a personal connection or how your friends call you in high school, but what I would like you to think about is the connection you want to create with your shops' visitors and be constantly thinking about them even when it comes to choosing your shop's name.

Well, how do I do that? You may be asking; here, I will share some key concepts and suggestions you may want to consider before jumping into logo creation and all branding aspects of your new business.

Keep in mind you don't have to follow ALL of them, but if you take one or two, you will be set for a great start 😊

Your Business name should be EASY TO REMEMBER:

Consider that internet users are bombarded with ads, social media, email, and the list goes on. You want your business name to be something that makes them instantly relate to your shop instead of having to say: "I know the shop was called something like…." When names are too long or not relatable to what you offer, they are often easy to forget.

My point is that it is way easier to remember a name like "Sweat Activewear" than a name like " Fabulous and Chic Gym Fashion Shop".

An easy-to-remember name can be one, two, and possibly up to three words that are short and catchy. What you ultimately want to achieve is that when someone asks your client where did she get those awesome pink leggings, she replies, "oh, I got them from Sweat Activewear," instead of "mmmm it was something like gym fashion, but I can't remember I'll look it up and let you know later." Yes, you guessed it, the word-of-mouth opportunity got lost in a second.

Your Business Name could be NICHE-ORIENTED:

When you brainstorm words, adjectives to describe your products, or a catchy name, I suggest including keywords related to your Niche, terms representing what you are selling in your store.

When your potential client is searching for " fitness clothes/accessories" and your business name has a keyword like "Activewear," your clients will know EXACTLY what your shop is all about. They will probably check your store first with the assurance that they will find fitness-related products.

You should always THINK BIG:

Yes, you are opening a shop for the first time with zero sales, probably zero followers, and for some of us that had to start creating our crafts or sketching our business idea from our dining room, you may also lack a dedicated space to work on your business a.k.a. home office; However that does NOT mean that your business won't scale, because it will (well, you can make it happen if you work for it) so from the very beginning think big, think you will be running a successful Shop with the potential of expanding to other marketplaces, owning your website and becoming a go-to shop for your target audience.

Yes, Diana, all that sounds easier said than done! Well, I'm not here to convince you on how big your aspirations should be; I'm just saying as soon as you open a business, there is a growth POTENTIAL, applying the right strategies and working smart on it. But what if we leave that conversation for another post. 😉

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Now, let's focus on not boxing yourself with a name too specific that will cut your wings in the near future. For example, if you are starting your shop selling earrings, unless you are sure and 200% convinced that the ONLY thing you will offer is earrings, I would suggest not including the word earrings in your shop name. Yes, that is super Niche down and may follow the previews concept but be careful to be too narrow, this will box you, and your clients will think you only offer earrings. It will be kind of off when you decide that it is time to grow, and you will like to include this fabulous new line of necklaces that match perfectly with those earrings, and they start selling so well, and then, you also start considering adding bracelets and the list goes on.

You know where I'm going now, right? If you have a business name called Gigi's Earrings, it will be short for all the other products you can potentially be offering down the road. So instead of Gigi's earrings, consider a bit broad niche, this could be Jewelry, Gems, and well, you got the idea.

Choosing a name for your business is essential, but don't let perfectionism get to your head. If you follow at least one of these tips/concepts, you will be off to a great start to choosing your small business name.

Just remember, the best names are short, easy to pronounce, easy to remember, and as a plus, be relatable to your Niche.

If you are still uncertain or need that extra help brainstorming your business name, I created a post with Ideas and some powerful, fun, and catchy words that you can use to finalize and put together that phenomenal shop name of yours!

Time to brainstorm! I'm sure whichever name you pick will be fabulous! You got this!