“Names have power.”
In just a few simple words, this quote conveys quite a meaningful message. Names are not mere labels to identify a person, place, or thing. They hold much more significance in people’s minds, depending on the context behind them.
For example, the name Carol Johnson shouldn’t mean much to you—you’re probably just wondering who that is. But what about Abraham Lincoln? That name immediately brings to mind important accomplishments, not to mention memories from school where you learned about his role in American history. Hence the name’s significance.
Consider a business name example: General Electric Company (GE). This conglomerate has been around for over a century, and its products are used around the world. Whether you own a GE product or not, it’s unlikely that you’ve never heard of the company—again, the name has significance.
Why are we focusing so much on the power of names? Because many small business owners don’t give enough attention to naming their company. But you have the opportunity to set your business on the path to success by choosing the perfect name.
The Importance of a Small Business Name
Your business name may not have much power starting out, but that’s why it’s essential to choose the right one. In the beginning, you need any edge to stand out in the market. Your name can:
- Determine how quickly prospects understand what you have to offer
- Help differentiate you from competitors
- Impact brand recognition with customers
Brand recognition is particularly important because 77% of consumers consider a brand name before making a product purchase.
Tips for Choosing a Small Business Name
When it comes to small business names, ideas from the market can inspire you, but it’s important to know how to go about actually choosing one. Here are a few tips to help you make the right decision:
- Keep it simple. Don’t make the name overly complex or lengthy. Doing so will likely confuse customers and make it hard for them to recall the name. You want to avoid such friction in the customer experience, especially in the beginning.
- Make it unique. It’s critical to stand out, especially in a crowded market. You want to give customers a reason to give your business a second look when they have plenty of options available. Capturing their attention could be the start of lifelong loyalty.
- Ensure it’s social-media friendly. Today, social media is a key way to connect with customers and build brand loyalty. In fact, 71% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand they follow on one or more social media channels. So be sure that some version of your small business name is available and conforms to character constraints.
- Consider its availability as a domain. Your website is an important aspect of building your brand and providing customers with a way to buy and contact you. The website domain should have some version of your business name.
10 Business Name Generators To Help Find Your Small Business Name
Coming up with a name from scratch may prove difficult, especially if you don’t consider yourself creative. That’s why there are plenty of business name generators available online to fill this gap. Check out a few of these below.
Anadea is a software development company that’s created a free business name generator. It can be used to help name your company, website, app, or whatever venture you’re creating that requires a name. You can generate names by industry, of which there are 12—technology, healthcare, real estate, consulting, software, and travel, to name a few.
If you’d rather skip the creative process and are willing to spend some money, BrandBucket may be a viable resource for finding the right business name. Instead of generating random names, BrandBucket has already done the legwork in creating a name with a matching domain and logo. All you have to do is shop for a name—across 40 industries—and buy the one you find most suitable.
Looka is another free resource for generating a business name. When generating names, you have the option of limiting the character count (max limit is 20). Like similar tools, you can generate names by industry, but you can also do so by an abstract idea keyword such as ambitious, quality, trustworthy, success, playful, etc.
Namelix helps you generate business names by keyword—the more specific the keywords, the more tailored the results. You can filter results by domain extension, specific keyword, or length. It also features an AI-powered algorithm that learns from the names you like and tailors your future name recommendations accordingly.
Naminum keeps business name generation simple. Just type in a name to base your search around and get a ton of results. You can also try its I’m feeling lucky option to get a random set of names.
With Namesmith, you can describe your idea with up to five words, then search for names related to those words. It also has a random name generator.
NameSnack is another AI-powered tool for business name generation centered around keywords. It combines the keywords you enter with other popular ones to find alternative names.
Novanym is also a keyword-driven business name generator. It includes two options you can choose to tailor results: business type (e.g., beauty, fashion, gardening, science) and name style (e.g., contemporary, traditional, elegant).
Oberlo is another name generator that takes a simple approach. Simply enter a collection of keywords or a word that you want your business name to include.
Squadhelp is another tool with built-in AI. The tool helps you generate business names by combining three aspects: industry, keywords, and emotions. In addition, you can purchase curated, ready-to-use names with a matching domain and logo.
The above small business names ideas will aid your name selection efforts. Try out the different tools and see which one will help you discover the perfect name for your new small business.
