Tips for brainstorming a new company name.

This can be a tough part of a business, even music artists have tough times thinking of names for themselves or their albums etc.

Here is one method, you can use your keyword/ business niche word included in a combination of different words.

The [keyword] formula

The [keyword] strategy

[keyword] Success

[keyword] Today

Where [keyword] would be something to do with your area, ie designs.

Casper Designs

DesignsToday

MegaDesigns

that is one way to go about names, now you should play around and jot down 10 ideas for names on some paper.

This is another interesting point - Do you go down the road of a name which utilizes a top level keyword or a brandable 6-10 word name which is used by the likes of start ups and media companies etc.

I agree with you Matt about having the keyword in the business name. Thanks for your post.

I like to use thesaurus.com. I search for "power words" that are commonly used and find interesting synonyms. So using the example above, I punched in 'strategy' and got 'blueprint,' 'system,' 'method.' It's a good way to break out of the mold a bit.

If you have business partners it is always a good idea to ask them for their suggestions. The companies you will be doing business with may not do business with specific "names" and "brands", so research "who" they do and do not conduct business. Example: Some companies will not accept business offers unless the company making the offer is listed in the Fortune 500.

You may get some inspiration from your product.

Who do your products benefit?
What are the highlights of your product?

Then you can spread your thoughts.

Hope helpful for you.

I strongly agree with looking for synonyms and find words that sound more compelling. People are driven to company names that they don't hear every day and will be attracted of checking you out.

Ideally when people are trying to find a good company name they usually think of the words that will really help their branding. For me, I would choose the words or synonyms (to be unique) that will really fit to your brand.

You can also find some hints or ideas through looking other company names or their brandings and observe how they build their brand.

Creating a strong brand for your company is not that easy to do. It will really take time for you to create a GREAT BRAND.

Hope it helps.

Good tips above.

Also think about any negatives that could be associated with the name, or how competitors/prospects might make fun of it: "Oh, you mean you have a bid from Sleazy Designs?" (When your name is SZ Designs. Something like that) If you are doing business in other languages, what does your name translate to?

Ease of use for prospects, similar domain names you might have to purchase. Flickr had to purchase flicker.com...
Read This Before Naming Your Startup

How To Pick The Perfect Name For Your Business or Startup

5 Rules for Choosing a Business Name - How to Create a Business Name

Business Names & Company Name Ideas | How To Name A Business | Entrepreneur.com

How to Choose the Best Name For Your Business | Inc.com

10 rules for picking a company name - Term Sheet

How To Pick A Company Name: Tips From The Trenches

Dan

I sometimes use the strategy of putting a fairly common/easy to remember word in-front of the keyword which best describes my business.

So for the keyword "design" you could try words like goDesign, realDesign, proDesign etc.

I used pickydomains.com for a previous business venture. You basically say what your business does, what sort of name you looking for and then people come up with domain name ideas for you. Then you pay if you use any of the ideas.

Thanks for all the suggestions guy's. This has given me a lot to work with and I am sure that with all of your help I can start something now. Thanks again.

The second reply to your thread is gold

Whichever method you use, I would make searching for a usable domain part of the process. I know Godaddy has a "recommended" section if the domain is taken and I've found some good ones using this tool. The business name should have its own domain that makes sense so it should be part of the process.

I just thought of something else.

I am a creative writer so when I need to brainstorm things like this, I dip into my writing toolbox.

Set the timer for ten minutes and write an arbitrary word list. It doesn't even have to make sense. Think about your business, set the timer, then write words that pop in your head.

Then take a break and do a freewrite for ten minutes.. (Don't look at the original list yet).

After the break, read the list and the freewrite. Set the timer for ten minutes again and brainstorm fifty business names. Write down anything and everything that pops in your head. Don't filter for any of these three exercises.

Take another break. Then read the list. Now it's time to filter.

Hey, if nothing else works this couldn't hurt.

Once you've come up with one or several names, bounce them off some people whose judgment you trust. Several times I have had clients who fell in love with a name that would cause most people to roll their eyes. Don't necessarily reject a name just because others don't see your vision, but if it doesn't get the reaction you wanted, make sure you know what you are doing before you finalize it.

Whatever name you decide on, consider these two key points:
1. Don't confuse a good product name with your business name. My business name is Duvall Consulting LLC but one of my key services is The Mind$hare Multiplier System. I thought about changing the business name to the new name but it's just a service, not what defines us. It's not who we are and it doesn't convey what we want to become. So we simply use it as a service name.
2. Before you spend any money putting your new business name all over the place, be sure to check the availability of the domain (no hyphens, .com only) and be sure to check if it's already registered to someone else at United States Patent and Trademark Office. You can do an initial search for free but if you want a full blown trademark search then that'll cost you around $300 non-refundable.
If someone already owns the exact domain you want then skip it and move on. Don't want to have to deal with brand confusion and Cease & Desist letters from lawyers.

Hope that helps and good luck.