What should I name my business?

Naming your business is no easy feat. You need to settle on a name that will have a long life and communicate what you are all about in a simple way.
We've put some naming categories that will help you along the way –
Functional names
Examples - Builder's Warehouse, Drain Surgeon
Pro's - An immediate connection is formed with what your business does. This is particularly helpful for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - meaning when someone googles services similar to your business it’s more likely they will find you first.
Con's – If you expand into other industries/products or services, your name could limit you to your current specialization.
A Single Word
Examples - Discovery, Apple, Checkers, Mango
Pro's- Catchy and easy to remember, also versatile for expansion into other products or industries.
Con's – Finding something original that is not already taken may be hard. Marketing effort is required to layer meaning on what the business is actually about.
Acronyms
Examples - MTN, EOH, KPMG, FNB
Pro's - Short, roll off the tongue, easy to remember.
Con's - Taglines, messaging and images will need to be used to communicate your business further.
Different language
Examples - Kulula, Vukhani
Pro’s – Intriguing and can imply multiple references related to your business
Con’s – Resonance may be limited to those individuals that understand the language, but can also intrigue those who do not.
Names of People
Examples - Mugg & Bean, Phatshoane Henney Attorneys, Kunene Brothers Holdings, Nando's, Ackermans
Pro's - Names have strong cultural reference. They can also lend themselves to a theme such as Nando's or a more serious professional organization such as attorney's firms.
Random words
Examples - Five Roses
Pro's - easy to remember once you have attached the meaning of your business in your clients' minds
Con's - marketing effort needs to be put in to attach meaning to these names otherwise your market will still associate its dictionary meaning.
Combo names
Examples- YouTube, Takealot, Mediclinic, Google Maps
Pro's – Meaning is instantly created with the use of two or more words
Con’s – Can be lengthy
Invented names
Example – Zando, Google, Xerox
Pro’s – Original never before seen names leave lots to the imagination
Con’s – Other brand elements need to be used to create and imply the meaning and essence of the brand.
This post was written by Tina Bodill Tina heads up Kukula Marketing and loves getting her hands dirty on solving marketing problems from strategy, to brand development and marketing project execution mostly for Medium sized B2B Businesses. She is a mom to a little human, a pug and a sausage dog and loves vintage Mustangs.