You’ve got an idea, you’ve got a team, and you’re ready to get get your startup on the road. But first you need a name. A name that will stick, that people will remember, and maybe if you’re lucky, turn into a verb someday (the highest tier of success.) How do you choose a business name that is right for your startup?
Looking at some of the most successful companies today, it seems that names can come from a variety of things, through various means of inspiration (an apple orchard, picked out of a hat, a cute animal.) But in the end, it comes down to these three questions:
1) Do you want your name to communicate the mission?
The first route one can take is looking at the “why” of a company, or the product you hope to sell, and taking the name from that.
Google, for example, gets its name from the mathematical term “googol,” the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. Founders Larry and Sergey chose the name because it reflected “the mission to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web,” according to Google’s history. (Now, of course, it’s used in daily conversation as a verb.)
Even Google is a bit more creative. Companies like Microsoft, who got their name because they wanted to create software for microprocessors, have names more directly tied to what they hoped to achieve by creating the company.
But taking the mission/product based route is just one option. The other question is:
2) Do you want your name to communicate a certain culture?
Some successful company names seemingly have nothing to do with their mission or product line. They focus instead on an idea or culture that makes their company original.
Apple, for instance, had less direct tie to company mission and more tie to the culture that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were trying to portray.
It was Jobs who originally thought of the name, according to biographies by Wozniak and Walter Isaacson, after visiting an apple orchard. Jobs told Isaacson he thought the name sounded “fun, spirited and not intimidating.”
Considering the other major companies at the time sported names like IBM, Digital Equipment and Cincom, having a company named after a fruit certainly stood out. And it appears to have been super effective.
3) Do you want to stand out?
Lastly, you have to decide if you’ll go with a name that ‘makes sense’ or one that causes people to do a double-take. There is one question that Phillip Davis, the founder of Tungsten Branding, a Brevard, North Carolina-based naming firm, always asks his clients:
“Do you want to fit in or stand out?”
On might assume that the obvious answer is the latter. Of course you want to stand out. Yet, as Davis explained in an Inc. article, some businesses want to maintain credibility and thus decide to choose a safe name rather than an edgy one.
Long-term, however, it is better for companies to choose a name that will set them apart rather then fit in, Davis said.
“Companies that say ‘I just want to get my foot in the door’ will usually begin wishing that they stood out more once they pass that first hurdle,” he said.
Of course, one must always be careful of negative associations that might come with a name…
How to choose a business name: The Fargo take
While researching the process of picking a name, I thought I’d talk to a few local startups about how they chose a name, and what they think constitutes a solid company name. The following are four startups that each had something different in mind when thinking of a name. Here’s what they had to say:
Myriad Mobile: Think of the URL!
Myriad Mobile is a local startup that specializes in creating mobile technology for businesses. Co-founder and CEO of Jake Joraanstad said an early partner came up with the idea of using “myriad” meaning “many” because, back in the early days, their mission was to help many NDSU students. They have since adopted it more for its Greek definition as the number ten thousand, as more of an illustration that they have “mastery in mobile technology,” he said.
As far as what makes a good name, “Something short, simple, and with an easy-to-find URL,” Joraanstad said.
That last bit is vital. Knowing what your company name will look like online is very important, as the Inc. article also states. Alexandra Watkins, the chief innovation officer of Eat My Words, a San Francisco-based naming company, advises startups to make sure their name is Internet-friendly:
“In the Internet age you don’t want a name that’s spelled differently than it sounds,” she said. “People won’t be able to find you online and you’re also always going to have to spell your name for people.”
Another thing to consider in this day and age is the power of Autocorrect. This was the case with Botlink, formerly Aerobotic Innovations – when typing or texting the name it would autocorrect to Aerobic Innovations, which was a valid factor to making the name change. When choosing a name, type and text it around a few times to make sure autocorrect likes it as well.
Beach Interactive: Family Ties
This Fargo video game design startup takes its name from family. Co-founder Sarah English used her mother’s family name, “Beach,” because she always thought “it would be an honorable thing to do.” The tribute to family communicates the company dedication to making games for the entire family, she said.
She added that a good company name, in her opinion, is one that is memorable and isn’t awkward or cumbersome to say.
“I like names that either hearken back to one’s roots, like a family name, something that tells me exactly what the company does, like Fargo 3D Printing, or something that captures the essence of how you want your customers to feel, like Mezzaluna,” she said.
Vine Rangers: Think evocative
Vine Rangers, a California startup using UAS tech in precision agriculture and opening an office in Fargo soon, took a more artistic turn with the name. CEO and Founder David Baeza said that when brainstorming, he had an idea that the name should be “something strong that would evoke a visual response.”
“There are lots of horses around the wine country which reminded me of the old cowboy movies, that made me think of Rangers,” he said. “Since we primarily work on in wine grapes it just made sense to call it Vine Rangers.”
A name for Baeza is more than just a title, it’s a trigger – something that should prompt a reaction from people.
“A good name conjures up a visual, and if it’s really good, evokes an emotional response,” he said.
Heat Transfer Warehouse: Get the visibility
In the vein of more informational than abstract, Heat Transfer Warehouse – a local startup that produces heat transfer products – gets straight to the point.
“We came up with the name ‘Heat Transfer Warehouse’ because it truly represented what we sell,” said founder and CEO Kirk Anton. “Choosing a name that fit into the industry made us more visible in the market.”
When choosing a name, Anton also said that one can follow the two routes of a more culture-based or a product-based name. “Either way, make sure you have a clear idea about what you want your name to do and stand by it,” he said.
How did you choose a business name for your startup?
We’d love to hear back from you on what you think makes a good company name, or the process you went through when choosing a name. Comment below, or send us an e-mail at marisa@emergingprairie.com!
For other interesting articles in this area, check out these links:
Inc.com: How to Choose the Best Name for Your Business
Mashable: How Today’s Hottest Startups Got Their Name
Mashable: What’s the Value in a Brand Name?
Photo courtesy of Tumblr.
