Name for your business?

I sort of stumbled on mine. In fact, mainly because of the position you are in now, I decided to finally go it alone and deliberated for months as to what to call myself. I have an unhealthy obsession with ferns and palms and really wanted to go for something that showed this, I even came up with some latin names, but a very good friend of mine and someone I resect and value his opinion told me not to. He said that people liked a couple of things in a name, they either like a company that has the owners name in it, or something they don't need to look up.
Thats just my opinion though and I doubt it stands up to much scrutinising because there are plenty of cases to prove me wrong.

As to your question about it mattering, I'm not sure it does. I know when building a website you have to be careful not to do a name that sounds too like anyone elses, purely because of the danger of confusion, but so long as its a name that is easy to remember and you are happy with it I guess thats all that counts.

Good luck anyway.

Replies

Matt May 31, 2010 at 3:21pm

I sort of stumbled on mine. In fact, mainly because of the position you are in now, I decided to finally go it alone and deliberated for months as to what to call myself. I have an unhealthy obsession with ferns and palms and really wanted to go for something that showed this, I even came up with some latin names, but a very good friend of mine and someone I resect and value his opinion told me not to. He said that people liked a couple of things in a name, they either like a company that has the owners name in it, or something they don't need to look up.
Thats just my opinion though and I doubt it stands up to much scrutinising because there are plenty of cases to prove me wrong.

As to your question about it mattering, I'm not sure it does. I know when building a website you have to be careful not to do a name that sounds too like anyone elses, purely because of the danger of confusion, but so long as its a name that is easy to remember and you are happy with it I guess thats all that counts.

Good luck anyway.
Peak surfacing ltd. May 31, 2010 at 5:47pm

good luck with your new business,in my humble opinion i think your name should incorporate what you business actually does,garden mainteance,garden design,think of it as your shop window to the world,
Fenlandphil May 31, 2010 at 7:52pm

If you want to work locally, then an area specific in the name is useful. if you want to work out of area this can be limiting.
For example The Cambridge Garden company could be useful if you want work in Cambridge but not to helpful if you want work in Lancashire. In that case a more general name might be useful "Great Garden Services" for instance.
Whatever name you settle on let me wish you the greatest possible success.
Seriousgardener.co.uk
Sarah Russell June 1, 2010 at 9:15pm

Whatever you do chose, make sure you research carefully so that you don't take on someone else's name locally - a friend several years ago was really excited at the prospect of calling herself 'The Avant Gardener'... sadly the name had already been taken by someone else a few miles away. Check with yellow pages, Yell.com, Google etc. to be sure.