Tips for Naming Your Creative Business

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I’m guessing your goal is to start a creative business and grow fast, right? Kudos to you for starting down the right path with researching the perfect craft business name. Finding one that helps you find customers and not just throwing something out there, will show in your fast growth rate.

We often get caught up in this process of finding the perfect business name as it truly can be a hard call, but let me walk you through some tips.

How to pick a business name that grows your business.

I’m going to show you how you can make this your baby by picking a business name that you are proud of, but also make it about the customers too.

Let’s go over a few common mistakes and some tips for success to consider when picking the perfect name for your business.

Don’t get frustrated. You can make this your baby but also make it about the customers too.

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Mistakes You Should Avoid When Naming Your Business

Be sure to avoid these pitfalls and for father growth. A new business takes a while for people to know what you do and why they need you. Avoiding these 4 mistakes can help you build that business faster as people will know what you do right away and be able to find you easier online.

1. Avoid misspellings or wrong spellings. Often cute names come out and creative businesses will spell them wrong.
   • One example is Kreations by Kelly instead of Creations by Kelly.
2. Avoid using words or your name that no one can spell. If your name is hard to spell try to use something totally different. If no one can find you, this is going to make growing your business difficult and costly to scale. You’ll need to spend time and effort to create a brand for this name.
   • One example is using a hard to spell first name, and you name it Exclusive Wreaths by Vyolette
3. Naming the business after something that has nothing to do with your niche. A common example is when people tell me about a loved one who has passed and they are honoring him or her by naming their business after them. They are struggling to get followers and sales cause their clients can’t find them online because of this name. Although we love the people and pets around us, ask yourself, what do your family members have to do with your client buying your new product. If there is no connection, keep brainstorming that perfect business name.
4. Using unique words can be a good business name but being too unique is a fine line sometimes. Don’t make it so unique that people don’t what your name means, how to spell it, or what you offer.

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If you already picked a name this is connected to one of these mistakes what do you do? You have a few options.

One is to change your name. You are probably new and it’s going to be work but ask yourself, will it help me? if yes, change it now. The longer you wait, the more work it will be.

Second, if you are set on using a made-up name that has no meaning (like combing your kids names to create a word you name your business after) or if you are using a name that does not reflect what you do I have some tips. This might make your business harder to grow but if you spend some time on marketing your brand name you will succeed.

For example, Nike was not even a word when it started. But the marketing team at Nike put in a lot of time, money, and energy to make you think of athletic wear every time you hear the brand Nike. So it can be done, it just might take more time and effort to make people understand what it is you do. So it’s not impossible to scale a name like this. Just ask yourself is it the best use of my time?

If you have chosen a name that might not be the best fit, your best solution is to get good at marketing. Grab my eBook Branding and Marketing or go through my course. this will give you the foundation you need for marketing and get you on the right track to success.

4 Tips for picking a great business name:

One key factor to keep in mind is: Keep It Simple! Our creative brains want to be clever, cute, fun, and all that. However, when your name is too creative, this often hinders your growth because they leave potential customers confused.

Small businesses with a great name are easily found. Usually, a customer wants what you sell and then searches for you online. If your name is well-planned out they will find you right away. Catchy names are fun to share but make sure people have a good idea of what you do when they first hear your business name or social media handle.

These 4 tips can help you get more sales from your company name:

1. What do you sell/offer? Often cute names come out and that creativeness makes it hard for people to know what you offer.
   • New businesses usually don’t have huge marketing budgets so keep the name simple. Add a tagline that isn’t cute or creative but short and precisely states what you do.
2. Who is your customer? Get inside your customers’ heads, your target audience. Name the business something that speaks to THEM – This makes it easier to attract the right followers. Often creatives name the business after their life, this doesn’t connect with your customer and often is hard to remember. (example, a made up word combining names of loved ones)
3. Search Social Media handles & Websites to see if the name you want is available. It’s so frustrating to find a perfect name only to find out it’s already taken. Look at what things come up when you search your name idea. Do these pertain to your niche? As you grow you will want to have these all the same. It makes life so much easier.
4. Add a tagline. A tagline is a few simple words that best describes what you do, or what you want to be known for.
   • When I started this blog I used “Inspiring to Create” which is creative and catchy but to be honest, what does it really mean?? When I changed my Facebook page to a tagline of “SVGs and DIYs” I instantly saw an increase in followers – people knew exactly what I was about. Simple and to the point is best.

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Business Name Availability Help:

If you found the perfect name but am having trouble finding on to use online these can be helpful to add to the name. But make sure you have rights to use the name, use the Trademark Search to see if it’s taken. If not, finding that matching domain name and get to work! (even if you are not going to make a website right away, it’s ok to buy the domain name for later. Same with social media, you might not want a TikTok account today, but reserve it anyway)

Here are some real-life examples of tweaking your name. These come in handy when you have a generic name you like that’s already taken as a website URL (domain) or social media platforms.

What do you do when the exact name you want is not available? These ideas can help:

• Add “Designs, Designing, By Design” to the name: Exclusive Wreaths Designs
• Add “Co” to the name: Exclusive Wreaths Co
• Add a personal name: Exclusive Wreaths By Shelly
• Add a keyword: Exclusive Wreath Boutique (or Shop)
• Add your *legal business status. Exclusive Wreaths, LLC

*I’m not a lawyer, so if you want to make sure your business name is legally ok, find a lawyer who specializes in trademark rights. Many set up their business as a limited liability company (LLC) for tax purposes and protection. This is a good idea if this is even “just a side hustle.” A legal name is important, this is a real business after all. Our Secretary of State has a simple registration process for business owners and the fee for this I’ve seen is very minimal.

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Name Your Business Worksheet to Guide You

f no one can find you online it’s going to make growing your craft business hard for you. But good news, we have a plan to help you figure this out. Download this FREE PDF and brainstorm some ideas to help you pick the right name.

Need a worksheet to help with this process?

We’ll send you a Free Printable PDF Worksheet that will help you narrow down this step.

I want more than just a “good Name” for my business.

If you want more than a just a good business name, but one that makes your unique business name stand out, helps your ideal clients find you easily and you plan to create an amazing side hustle with this craft business, then be sure to read through this list.

Remember these few tips when deciding on the name of your business:

1. Picking a business name is about YOUR customers and how they will find you.
2. Use search engines to see if the name is taken. The domain availability is important. (Google, GoDaddy, etc)
3. Look at other website endings. The website does not have to end in a ‘.com’ domain name. (mine is a .me website and, you found this website!)
4. Search the official Trademark Office to see if it is taken + Search social media.
   • Make your accounts match. Nothing makes it harder for new customers to find you if your Facebook page, web address, and Pinterest accounts are all different names. (Take it from me, this can be a pain!!)
5. Don’t get caught up in finding a catchy business name so much that you end up being hard to remember.
6. Use a Business Name Generator for ideas. Then search online to make sure it’s not already taken.
7. Search your state database to make sure you can register your name with your state gov office. This is where a CPA can come in handy. Don’t skip this part, it will help you in the long run when you file taxes too.

Keeping these in mind when making your list of business name ideas will make your job of growing the business easier in the end.

Warning: Once you start down this path, your newsfeed will be filled with similar businesses. This is simply how the platforms work these days to bring content in front of users. Many creative business owners and makers get discouraged by this. I encourage you instead to use it for inspiration for your business structure. This is not ‘overwhelm’ but proof your business idea works. Look at all those other businesses proving that what you want to do must obviously have a need.

Need guidance in marketing your creative business?

If you are ready to rock and roll with your new business name, and not find a great name for your business but build a brand that attracts customers and helps you grow faster, consider your brand identity. Meaning, who you want to show up as when you open those social media accounts or that Etsy shop.

The first step in standing out in a saturated market is a clean organized brand. One that people can trust at first glance, even if you are new. Even the best business names won’t help you if you get lost in the world wide web or the millions of shops online and on Etsy.

Grab a copy of my eBook, Branding & Marketing for Creatives. This will walk you through ideas and steps as you build a business foundation for a successful brand.

If you are not a reader, dive into my Creative Business Club. We host monthly sessions to help you grow your creative business. Read more here.

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