Coming up with a business name?

Hey,

I've been trying to come up with a business name for my umbrella company (to put all of my other companies under) and it's been extremely difficult.

Anyone have any useful techniques that they use when creating company names?

Also, if you incorporate your umbrella company - do you have to incorporate all of the companies you put under it?

 

Generally I think it's advisable to use your given legal name. It will be a little more difficult at first because you're name isn't a "keyword" people search for every day. But studies have shown that when people are confronted with a choice between businesses they aren't familiar with, they feel most comfortable doing business with the company named with a person's first and last name, than a generic one. I'll have to dig up references to the studies I'm talking about, but essentially they found people have an easier time of it when they feel like you'll still be around next month if they have some kind of problem. Using your name basically proves you aren't a fly by night operation.

 

When I named mine I took a local river and added Internet Properties.

North Branch Internet Properties

Could have easily as been

North Branch Media
North Branch Enterprises
North Branch Developement Co....etc...etc.

 

great info

 

I have used my initials and "Enterprises" at the end. I essentially use that for all my websites that I build. However, the problem of doing this is that you treat them all as one entity. Therefore if you are sued for whatever reason, your other websites may be of some risk as well.

 

I use my last + first name mixed together to get a unique pronouncable word
or you can just use your last name (McDonalds, Dell, Wal-Mart, etc)