Name That Company

Do you know how Steve Jobs was inspired to create the company name “Apple”?

Where did the name “Tesla” come from for Tesla Motors?

How about Technology In A Box? Well, I can give you that story. It was born from four companies that could contribute to one company with different skillsets, all in one box. And that box was going to be the one stop shop for franchisees to find their accounting processes, schema, training, technology and FAQ. Not inspired from without, but created within the circle of partners.

When I took ownership of the company, I added to the name to add my own personal brand. Technology In A Box Learning Services. I was immersed in Education from undergrad through a masters program. My strengths are learning and teaching and I am told I have the patience of a saint. So, it is no secret when people find me on the QuickBooks Pro Advisor site and find “Learning” in the name, they know there is education to be involved. And my tag line confirms it: Education to Enhance Your Business! I can be consistent with this message because I am this message.

Who Are You

I recently had the absolute pleasure of mentoring a fellow pro advisor, Jill Shalett on her journey to build a company brand. The struggle was not in the naming of the company, but how her “brand” could be developed around it. Her struggle was being confident that the one path she would go down would keep coming back to her style, her mission and her strengths.

So, we did a silly little exercise. I asked her two questions: What was the earliest memory of what she aspired to be as a child. Then I asked her what did her mother always brand her as. Mothers do that, you know. They throw out those little recollections that always start with “When you were a child, you always ………”. It wasn’t hard to retrieve those answers. Both knew Jill embodied these qualities of a caregiver. Jill is a people person, she is a nurturing soul, she is a giver and she has enthusiasm when she is working with the right client, the perfect fit.

Coupled with the fact that when I asked if she ever created a logo, her good friend had developed a design that screamed out what we were looking for: A tandem bike with Jill’s company name. Nothing could better express Jill’s approach to business. Working in tandem with her clients in the cloud. The rest is history.

Tips for Naming

From my very own Katey Maddux, here are her recommendations for approaching this naming game:

Choosing a name for your business. First of all, come up with a business name that not only conveys what you do, but is catchy and memorable as well. Hopefully, it’s also available for purchase as a website domain (i.e., www.yourbusinessname.com), although there aren’t many good .coms left. Make sure your business name is easy to say, spell and type—shorter names are generally better.

Think of a word you want to be in your business name → Search. Use business name generator  like Shopify’s to search for business names and check domain availability instantly. Also, your name should be timeless. your name should convey the expertise, value and uniqueness of the product or service you have developed. What do you want your name to communicate? Do you have a niche or a mission statement? People like words they can relate to and remember; familiarity triggers emotion and connection. And that’s less work for you having to explain it, but don’t be too generic.

Don’t be too specific, you want to leave room for your business to grow and expand. (example: Atlanta iphone repair) Made-up words usually aren’t a good solution unless you’re working with a firm. Once you have 4-5 ideas, be sure and test your name! Trademark the name (it can save you lawsuits later!) Once you have your ideas, go back to your initial thoughts and word-triggers. Are you in-line with your vision? Which best describes your business? Write it out and say it outloud. Do you like the way it sounds…

Other Options:

• Hire an expert or firm to help you $$ → They have elaborate systems and know their way around trademark laws, like Namelab. These can get $$
• Use a name generator $
• Use your left brain! — Free!

The Irony

So, Steve Jobs and Steve Wosniak bantered the fact Apple Computers may infringe on Apple Record’s space, the label that housed all of the rights to the Beatles. Jobs did not relent, he wanted Apple. In the end, Apple Records sued Apple Computers. Seems like that didn’t matter, right? They still are Apple!