HOWTO

HOWTO: Name your company

By Dubai Entrepreneur ⋅ May 22, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

So you’ve decided to have a startup and now you need a name. This is a very important decision that you should weigh very carefully. The name will have a direct impact on how your prospects will perceive you and your products/services.

In this HOWTO, I will try to provide you with some options and solutions.

Domain names

Should be easy to type

You will need an Internet domain name (company.com, etc.). You will need it for your website and your email addresses. No, using user23902@emirates.net.ae is not going to reflect well on your company. You need your own independent domain.

Domain names are a good way to filter already taken names. It is extremely difficult to find easy to type and remember names that are still available. Don’t limit yourself to .com’s. Look into .ae (or your respective country’s TLD).

Also, you will need to consider how easy/difficult it is to find through a search. In other words, refrain from the use of generic names (’The Restaurant’ for a restaurant is an extreme but good example). If people search for your company’s name and get things that are most likely to be ranked higher by the search engine than your company, avoid it like the plague.

Arabic vs. English names

There is a tendency to use English names because they sound more professional. Here’s a hint: they’re not. They were perceived as such in the past, but there is a trend now where people are actually appreciating names and companies that are true to their roots (e.g. Bayt.com, Maktoob, Emaar, etc. are examples of Arabic names that stuck well with the public).

There is always the risk of having dual meanings, as transliterating could end up with an unintentional effect. Recently, twffaha.com (a women only recruiting site) was criticized for their name sounding like ‘tafaha’ (a word meaning silliness or similar). The ‘w’ in the name is meant to act as a ‘u’ or ‘o’. dwwen.com is also another potentially confusing use of letters.

If you build a strong brand, these confusing elements could be overcome and should not be a reason to not use a name. However, you should be aware that they will make things more difficult.

Company name acronyms and initials

Acronyms can be confusing

Avoid using initials as much as possible. The problem with such names is that it doesn’t say much about the company. It has no personality. If the acronym or initial actually carried a meaning, it would be far more acceptable. You can also see companies not using their real license names and opting for a brand (e.g. Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company is known as ‘du’).

There are very few instances where such a name is acceptable — and that is when your own customers start abbreviating your company name. That is, it becomes better known under an unofficial name. You may then consider a ‘rename’.

Talk to friends and family

Ask people how they feel about the name. You would be surprised how people feel about things like names. A name that brings strong feelings (either dislike or like) is one that you would want to keep on your shortlist. Getting emotional responses for a name is always good. It makes it memorable.

Your friends and family are your cheapest and (hopefully) most honest market research.

Register your name

Registering your trademark is more important than you think. A dispute could very possibly occur and without such registration and you are going to be left in the dark. Do the same for your logo and device (most logos have a drawing next to the actual written name, that’s the device). You may want to read the Trademark registration FAQ.

- Tags: company name, naming company, naming firm