How did you go about naming your business?

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Ruthie

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I did a search and found that a number of members had posts to the effect of "name my business for me." At least that is the impression I got from them. I feel this is a personal process, and I need to do it myself. I have come up with a few ideas, but nothing that just slaps me on the side of the head and says "This is it!" I feel that it needs to reflect my business image for the most part, but maybe also who I am.

I want to get this done soon so I can get business cards and maybe a banner made. I feel a "push" to do this as I may be "partnering" with a lady who makes hydrolsols, etc. while I am soaps exclusively, at least at this point. If I have that part done, she can take it or leave it. Not trying to be mean, but I am wanting to be sure about the image I project.

So I am hoping some of you will tell me how you went through the process to come up with your business name. Last time I did this was when the Red Hat Society was so big and I was "Red Hat Soap Lady." The name brought me a lot of business. But one hardly hears of them now.

So~ How did your business name come to you? Thanks for sharing!
 
I sat down with a notebook and a small group of friends. We started a list of single words. Words associated with the product, with the business, words that were silly and fun or that we just liked the way it sounded. I had three pages of words front and back. I spent many hours mixing, matching, combining and discarding word combinations. I eventually came up with the name Froth & Bubble. I did the required searches and found it was free and clear. I registered the name and now own Froth & Bubble LLC.
 
I did something similar to Chay, and started writing my ideas on paper, then using word association, mixing and matching words and ideas. I still keep a running list of sorts for product names. My business name/theme/ideas are very personal to me, so I didn't really consult anyone else, but I did run a few names by my husband, so at least I could gauge his facial expressions for either "Oh geeze, here she goes again" or "Quirky, but I like it". My husband is way more practical and grounded than I...my brain is always storming with some new creation or kooky idea that I will obsess about until it comes to fruition...so sometimes I like to get his "polarized" opinion.
I settled on Alchemy & Ashes: Alchemy, a medieval precursor to chemistry, due to the chemistry involved in soap making...and Ashes in reference to the old fashioned process of leaching hardwood ashes to make "lye"(potash/potassium hydroxide). As soon as I wrote the two together, it was "written in stone".
However, I have found that many people have never heard of alchemy or don't know how it's pronounced and pronounce the "ch" like in chimney instead of like "k" in key (really?!). And of course, most non-soapers have no idea of the "ashes" reference, but when I explain they are always intrigued.
I'm sure marketing folks would tell you to go with an obvious "soap" name to easily identify you as a soap business and that people will immediately associate your business with soap. I however don't believe that's the only way to go. Think of Apple. What the heck does an apple have to do with computers? But we all associate the name with computers now, right?
Google any name you think of before settling. I did this first, and found a "Alchemy FROM Ashes" band and a "Alchemy TO Ashes" book or something or other...but I didn't find another soap company name with both words. There are other "alchemy" soap names, like Bath Alchemy, etc.
 
Thanks Chay and Shawnee for your replies. They give me confidence that I am on the right track. I have a list of words and phrases going. I add to it as I see something else I like.

Shawnee, I have loved your business name since I first saw it, and from seeing photos when you sell, I think you have done it justice. I'm surprised, however, that so many people have trouble with the word "alchemy." Who woulda thought?

Chay, you mentioned doing the searches to see if the name is free and clear. How does one go about that? I know that is a step I'll have to take, but do not know where to begin.
 
I checked with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to see if the name had been trademarked. The Ohio Secretary of State to see if it was a registered business name in Ohio and InterNIC to see if the domain or at least an accpetable variation was available.
 
My biz name, Lather Unusual, came to me at 2am while I was laying in bed thinking.."I want my products to truly be unusual".. and rather unusual turned into Lather Unusual. I did all of the searches and prior to registering my biz name it did not exist as anything other than typos online. It must have been good because I've been copied a few times.. with other soap makers using "lather unusual" as tag lines and one woman starting a completely separate soap business in South Africa called..you guessed it, Lather Unusual! Yeah, pretty tacky and unoriginal if you ask me. My big advice is to spend the money on trademarking your name if you plan on growing your business and keep at it for quite a few years. Granted international trademark registration is crazy expensive..but nothing stings more than having people with little to no creativity of their own profit from your creativity in such a craven way.
 
I used to have a purse making business named bagatelle. I loved the name for so many reasons... The bag reference is what people jumped on, but for me it was the translation of bagatelle that hooked me. It is something trivial and inconsequential, which, really, purses can be!

My sister has an apron making business called "Not Your Mother's Apron", because, well, they aren't what my mother or grandmother would wear. She is starting to branch out into things like lotion bars, which becomes Not Your Mother's Lotion.
 
Chay -

I searched on uspto and found the name I was considering for my business but the other businesses were not related. One was a car club, another was a roofing company and the last one was a brewery. One shows type of mark as service mark and two show as trademark. Would I still be able to use the name since my business is so different from the ones listed?
 
I chose my name based on where I live which is on the Malaspina Strait. I wanted something unique and spoke to where I live. So far it has worked.
 
When my husband got into beekeeping we decided to try our hand at sellingthe soap I make and eventually the honey we will have. He thinks we can retire to this new venture of ours :thumbup: Any way we came up with our business name based on the street we live on. So it’s called Richland Soap & Honey Co. We have along way to go and just started selling online but it’s keeping me busy making soap. We hope to eventually sell honey, bees, queen bees, hives and other wooden ware relating to beekeeping.
 
My business is named after my kids nick names. When my daughter was born she looked like a turtle because her teeth didn't come in until after she was 1 and she was born in Florida. My son was born in Louisiana and he was a biter like an alligator. Creole for alligator is Crocodrille. I smushed them together to make Crocoturtle. Turtagator didn't come out right. Crocoturtle Cove is my business name, I like it because it can represent anything I want to sell. Once people see my logo it puts a memorable idea in their head. Oh, that's a crocoturtle!
 
Chay -

I searched on uspto and found the name I was considering for my business but the other businesses were not related. One was a car club, another was a roofing company and the last one was a brewery. One shows type of mark as service mark and two show as trademark. Would I still be able to use the name since my business is so different from the ones listed?
As long as the other businesses are not related then you should not have any problems. But you also need to check on Husteds website and also very important is to look online and see if anyone is using the unregistered name. In some cases they can fight you for the name even if they did not register it.
 
Thanks for replying. :grin: I did search on the SOS site and googled the name. There are 15 businesses in Ohio but none are related to soap and a google search didn't come up with anything. I just wasn't sure about the national ones since a couple did say "trademark".
 
"Maitri" is a Sanskrit word meaning "loving kindness" - I came across the term when I took a Buddhism class in college 10+ years ago. I always liked the sound of the word and used it as online handles / game avatar names / etc. Had a digital scrapbooking business called Maitriscraps for a while. So I figured I'd stay with the pretty word, since it wasn't likely to be taken.
 
It took me a few weeks of throwing names back and forth before I found one. When you find the right one, you'll know it. Trust your gut. I suggest waiting on a name that really clicks with you, because it's a name you're going to be stuck with if you want to develop the brand.

I actually had an epiphany in the shower, texted a good friend of mine helping me brainstorm (who's a marketing wiz, luckily), and asked him what he thought about the name? He said he was just about to text me the same thing about the same name! It was really weird. After that I was good to go :)

And PS - I love your name, Shawnee! It's got some mystery and magic to it, and it toooootally goes with your soaps!
 
I've had several names over the years depending on where I was living, and what I was selling. The name I've used for nearly the last 2 yrs is Emma Rae's Garden. That is the name of my only grandchild. It works for living here in the south,and I also sell herbs at the farmers markets,hence garden. lol
 
Mine is based on a nickname that my two best friends and I gave each other in college. If my biz takes off, they're also the first two people who will be brought in as employees.
 

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