For example, some naming consultants claim that a great business name must be short. True, some are: Google. Nike. Intel. Ford. Best Buy. Sprint. Deere.
One expert says names should be no more than three syllables, and another says no more than three words. Supposedly, shorter is more memorable. But this is not necessarily true. Consider Etsy, Boku, and Eska. These four-letter names are hard for English speakers to remember because they involve combinations or sequences of sounds that do not naturally occur in the language.
If you look at the 2009 Fortune 100 list of America's largest companies, only 47 out of 100 of the official company names fit the three-syllable rule, and the number gets only to 53 out of 100 if you consider their shortened company names (i.e. Liberty Mutual instead of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group). So any attempt to link shortness of a company name with financial success is absurd. If you did a similar survey of companies that land in the news, I'm confident that the results would be the same.
Here are a few companies with rather long names that do quite well in the marketplace:
· New Horizons Computer Learning Centers (the world's largest independent IT training firm - 11 syllables)
· Edible Arrangements International ($174 million in annual sales - 11 syllables)
· The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (nearly $7 billion in annual sales - 13 syllables)
A longish name might be a smart strategic choice if it helps you capitalize on history (A&P was established in 1859), ground yourself geographically ("Philadelphia" has five syllables right there) or include essential industry words (like "miniature golf" in Eastern Miniature Golf Supply).
Admittedly, longer names are harder to manage on the telephone, in radio ads, in logos and on signage. But no longer than three syllables or three words is a completely unreasonable absolute standard.
If you're leaning toward a business name on the long side, think about how it might be affectionately or not so affectionately shortened, and make sure the nickname or acronym is acceptable. For instance, Chevrolet to Chevy - good. Agonistes Shipping to Agony Shipping - not so good. International Business Machines to IBM - okay. Sutton Health Insurance Tracking to SHI... - oops!
Some companies with long names acquire a shorter version of it for their web domain, but if you do this, make sure the shortening is intuitive, such as Orville.com for Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popping Corn.
Don't get hung up on the length of a business name. Much more important than length are whether or not the name sits well on the tongue, makes sense to the ear, spells easily, is easily pronounced its first time seen and sticks in the mind.
Trademarking A Business Name
I'm going to begin by discussing the first step you should concentrate on when you're building your business credit. The name of your entity is my first topic. Choosing a business name is very important. As simple and easy as it may seem, every precaution should be taken when considering your business name.
Depending on what business cycle you're in and what the economy is doing at that time, some businesses are treated differently when applying for a business loan. The lenders always have worries when underwriting your loan application. Some companies are categorized as more risky than others or more desirable than others.
Yes, the bank does have a black list of companies they're willing or not willing to do business with. The question is what category do you want your business to be in out of that list?
When structuring a business entity, the entity name choice should always be generic.
Why choose a generic name? Well, a generic name is exactly what it is. When choosing the business name you should keep a few simple rules in mind. It should not describe the type of business you're in or have your private name in it. In some instances, you can get by with the initials of your private name.
The primary reason for this logic is to put more space between you and business. The name choice that you filed with the city or county known as a ?doing business as? or dba will be the only name that should describe what your business is about. At this point, some folks maybe questioning what difference does it make which name to give their business? It's OK if you have such a question.
Just make sure you don't confuse my point with the type of business to consider when you're trying to open a business. This suggestion would be impractical. Most entrepreneurs open a business as a result of their education level, God given talent and lifetime experience. I'm not about to interfere with this process.
Allow me to demonstrate why your entity name could hinder your chances to get approved for a business loan. Let us suppose your name is John A. Doe. You structure a corporation by the name of Doe Realty Incorporated. Do you think this name could cause you problems with the lenders in today's market?
The answer is absolutely yes. Would you agree with me that just a few years ago, companies such as: real estate sales, real estate investments and real estate finance were hot businesses to be in? They were so lucrative; lenders were practically throwing money at them based on signatures only.
Today, the same lenders start running whenever the word real estate is mentioned. It's almost as if the word real estate is forbidden. Well, as much as I hate to say it but at this time it's a bad word.
The ideal way for Mr. John Doe to structure his entity should've been to name the corporation ?JD Incorporated? doing business as ?All Realty.? Since JD Incorporated is the legal entity that's responsible to file the taxes and applies for the loans, then the corporation is really what matters not the dba.
You can also add any business related dba's or service conversions related to real estate services. One service in particular is to become a authority in the real estate field under the same corporation rather than changing your corporation's name.
You can apply this concept to any types of business as long as you take the time to choose your business name carefully. Lenders will view a consultation business as having low overhead and more desirable. Visit our site http://smallbusinesscreditadvice.com next week and we will discuss the second step in building your business credit rating. Or you can contact us at mailto:comloans@gmail.com.
Both Marcia Yudkin & Richard Noah are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Richard Noah has sinced written about articles on various topics from Tax, Management and Legal Matters. ? 2008 Copyright Richpie2. All rights reserved worldwide. - Pierre Hippolyte, The Business Solutions Guy, has consulted and helped thousands of people and their companies throughout the U.S. successfully establish business credit and obtain business loans. Richard Noah's top article generates over 3600 views. Bookmark Richard Noah to your Favourites.