Choosing a good business name and logo

Companies often pay thousands of dollars for researchers and advertising agencies to come up with a good name and logo for their business. Of course a good logo and business name is one of the best ways to get your business off and running on the right foot. Naming your business is important as this is how customers will remember your company. Picking the right name will get your company off to the right start. With that being said, here are some tips that can help you select a good business name and logo:

Tip # 1 - Image

The company name and logo will represent the image you want your company to have. Think of some of the best company names out there. Pizza Hut for example is a great name for their food-chain since they began as a pizza company that often served their pizzas indoors. As the delivery business began to catch on, the indoor eatery of Pizza Hut switched to fast delivery services while maintaining a certain level of quality. Their logo has adapted over the years to fit the modern image of the company. It went from classic to a modern logo that focuses more on the speed of their delivery versus the dining in. Take the sports wear manufacturing company Adidas. It was named after its inventor, Adolf Dassler. Adi is actually short for Adolf, causing the first part of the name to be born and "das" being short for Dassler. Many small businesses are actually started from the name of the companies creator, Orville Redenbaucher,Dell, Abercrombie and Fitch, Bell Telephone Company, Coors, Ferrari, Forbes, Miramax, and Sears to name a few.

If you don't want to use your own name, consider using a symbol or something that represents your product (think Pizza Hut for pizza or Taco Bell for tacos). Many companies will select a name that is based on mystical or spiritual things. Nike is one company that chose this direction by choosing the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. Amazon is derived from the ancient races of warrior women, which is used for the name of the popular web site Amazon.com, where many shoppers frequent to purchase books and other products. Of course, Trojan is another company name that is derived from the Trojan War, which took 10 years for the Greeks to destroy.

Tip # 2 - Message

The company name must portray your business and how it is superior to your competitors. This is why several companies choose company names that have some type of meaning like "warrior". The company name should properly explain to your customers what your business does. Instead of focusing so much on finding a mythical name, look for a name that easily recognizable and straightforward. A great way to select the business name that will convey your message properly is to make a list of your products and the keywords that pertain to your company and your industry.

Perhaps you can use a mythical name, but you can add something extra to it that will help others understand exactly what your business does. For example, finding a unique name like Achilles and then adding "sports club" after it quickly shows your customers what type of company you are. Consider adding something like software after your company name or something that relates to your products or industry.

Tip # 3 - Design

Once you settle on a company name, picking the logo can be even harder. A good graphic designer is your best option at this point. They need to understand the message behind the company name and come up with a logo design that can clearly represent it. For some companies, the name is the logo. Be clear about what you want your logo to convey to your customers so the designer will know which creative direction to go in.