Help me name my business

[formerexpat]

I'm thinking about doing some independent consulting for at least a short amount of time, but in case it is something I decide to do longer, I want to make sure it's a strong name.

My background is insurance / financial services and accounting. I want something strong and simple but don't have a last name that would be good to use for a consulting firm name.

Any ideas? Thanks, Expat

[Deleted]

I understand the name thing... its one reason we decided to go with a business name instead of just using husband's name... that said, however, you know it is a more complicated process to start doing business as, instead of using your name? At least here in PA... Just wanted to make sure you thought of that, considering it might be 'some... a short amount of time'...

[Tiny]

hmmm, I'm having flashbacks to a Dilbert comic where the Pointy Haired Boss has hired Dogbert to re-image the company... Dogbert has used a program to combine words from Astronomy and Electronics. The first combination on the list is "Uranus Hertz". And of course the Pointy Haired Boss likes it.

If you want your business to show up first in the phonebook - go with something with a lot of As like AAAAAAAAAAAA Consulting.

I know several people who have used their names creatively in naming their business. Sometime's it's just their initials - ABC Consulting for example. Or maybe the odd middle name they got burdened with Bob W. Everyman might be the owner of: Wadsworth Consulting.
You could also browse the Thesaurus or an online dictionary for words that mean qualities you'd like to associate with your business. Latin has lots of great words. Trust = fides or fiducia for example.

[gsbrq]

Apr 12, 2011 21:26:21 GMT -5 formerexpat said:

I'm thinking about doing some independent consulting for at least a short amount of time, but in case it is something I decide to do longer, I want to make sure it's a strong name.

Ghenghis Khan Financial Consulting

[Bluerobin]

Uncle Scrooge's Financial Services.

[busymom]

How about something that appeals to the masses "No More Taxes Financial"?

[Regis]

Apr 12, 2011 21:47:41 GMT -5 Tiny said:

If you want your business to show up first in the phonebook - go with something with a lot of As like AAAAAAAAAAAA Consulting.

Let me ask this question: When was the last time you used the phone book? Personally, if I'm looking for something - I'm going to the internet.

Whatever you do, put the work that you do in the title of the company. When I see Bob A. Smith, Inc. I have no idea what the company actually does. But when I see Bob A. Smith Chimney Sweeps I know exactly what they do.

[olderburgher]

Insight Consulting

[debtheaven]

Comprehensive Consulting

Freedom Financial (Services)

[greeneyedchicka]

A good start would be to list words or terms that describe your business or your services. Then use a thesaurus to help pick something that describes you/your business.

For example, I searched for the term "protect", as in protect your clients' money and property, and I came up with "Safe Harbor Financial Services", "Sentinel Consulting", and "Converge Financial Services".

Then I searched for "plan", as in help your clients plan for their future, and I came up with "Method Consulting", "Blueprint Financial Services", and "Envisage Consulting".

Of course I added the "Consulting" and "Financial Services" to the terms, but you can see where I am going.

We used a firm to help us rename a company that I used to work for, and they charged us upwards of $60,000 to do this same exact thing. They also suggested something that started with A, B or C because of the phone book look up, but I really don't think that applies any longer. They came up with the term "agile" because we wanted to express how flexible we were. We went off of a variation of that.

Good luck to you!

[mtshastawriter]

I write GSA applications for a living. This means that I am dealing with a different small buisness name daily. I agree with the suggestions of making your business name match what your business actually does. I see a lot of companies with names like Johnson Associates. This says zero about what the company actually does. Johnson Engineering pretty much says what needs to be said.

[Clever Username]

Apr 12, 2011 21:47:41 GMT -5 Tiny said:

You could also browse the Thesaurus or an online dictionary for words that mean qualities you'd like to associate with your business.

Remember to do this in reverse as well.
My wife's company had a major re-branding.
Very well timed, another similarly named company flamed out in newspaper headlines across the country soon afterwards.

At one of the later stages, they discovered one of the final five names had an obscure, but very specific sexual definition.

[thyme4change]

Another advantage of not using your name is if you grow the business and it becomes something more than you, it has a value that you might be able to sell someday. I had a friend start a consulting business and did not use his name. It surprised me because he is so well known - but now he has 9 employees, almost all working as consultants. If he wanted to up and quit tomorrow, the business could transfer, without having a mysterious name on the letter head.

Something specific, but general. Good luck with that.

Indemnity Ideas Consulting

[cronewitch]

Make one word at least odd so when you google it you know you found it.

A name like Alpine Financial sounds nice but google either word and you will get tons of hits. A made up word like Xfinity is easy to spell but unique. Google what you pick and see how unique it is.

[Sum Dum Gai]

If you want your business to show up first in the phonebook - go with something with a lot of As like AAAAAAAAAAAA Consulting.

Has anyone here actually used the business that showed up first in the phone book if they had a cheesy obviously out to be first name, like #1 AAAA Towing Service? Personally, there's no way I'm calling that idiot. Al's Towing, which might be a whopping inch farther down the page, sure I'll call that guy. The owners real name is probably Winston or something, but at least he wasn't obnoxiously obvious about making sure he was first in the phone book listings.

[formerexpat]

thanks guys for the good suggestions...and a few laughs from a couple of you.

[Jake 48]

Accounting Business Solutions

[daylight]

Have the actual activity in the company name. People use the internet, not the phone book. Pick a name that can be re-iterated on the phone and just about everywhere (think about costs that you can offset and the times you'd have to repeat the name for an invoice). Use normal spelling, even if you use a made up word. I'll be back with an actual suggestion should it occur to me.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Taxing Times.