Choosing a Name
For Your Craft Business -
Unforgettable You!
Naming your craft business is probably one of
the most difficult things to do in your early days. I mean, let’s face it….
It’s going to be yours for a long time! Your business might change, and the
name you choose has to be serviceable and geared to every eventuality.
For instance:
Megan learned to knit and in particular loved
making scarves.
It was an easy choice to call her business
‘Megans Knitted Scarves’
A year down the line and she had progressed to
making hats too.
And socks….. and all manner of knitted
paraphernalia.
Now can you see that Magan perhaps would have
been better off to think ahead right at the beginning and chosen something
a bit more generic that relates to her craft, but not so restricting.
Be Memorable
I love the inventiveness of peoples imaginations
when naming their blogs. Naming blogs seems far easier and less restricting
than naming a business. Take a look at Blog names and you will see what I mean.
First off…. Try a little brain storming
exercise.
Take a sheet of paper and at the top write
WHAT I ‘DO’
On a second piece of paper write
WHO I AM
Take the first piece of paper and make a list of
ALL the words you can think of to describe your art or craft
For instance…. With Calligraphy and Lettering
Art I could make a list like this:
Ink,
Poem,
Quill,
Paper,
Letters,
Alphabets,
Script,
Pens,
Fingers,
Brushes….. Just a few simple ones…. You get the
picture.
On the second list marked WHO I AM… make a list
of all the words you can think of that describe YOU.
Motivated,
Quirky,
Colourful,
Happy,
Inspired,
Poetry Lover,
Quotation Collector,
Animal Lover,
Nature Worshiper,
Bohemian,
Hippy….. and so on.
You can also make a few other sheets, with say….
Your FAVOURITE THINGS,. The more lists the better. What you are doing here is
making a list that represents YOU and YOUR CRAFT.
My business name of ‘Inspired by Script’ came about by me
thinking about what inspires me…. Script and lettering of all kinds. It reflects
both me and what I do.
By making a list you can come up with some
rather interesting combinations. Most of all you are looking for something that
people will remember.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with using your
name. If you are proud of your work, then why not!
IMPORTANT THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
BEFORE YOU COMMIT TO A NAME!
1)
Make sure your domain name is available! When creating a website
you really need an uncomplicated URL (Web address) without hyphens or
underscores. Avoid this search at your peril! If someone else has the same name
as you, it’s quite likely that THEY will get the business NOT you! So you could be missing out on sales.
Even if you haven’t got a website yet… with the
way marketing is these days, it’s highly likely that you WILL have one in the
future!
2)
Avoid quirky spellings of a name. It may look cool, but it’s hard
to remember how to spell something if it’s written a different way. It needs to
be found easily! And search engines won’t pick up mis-spelled words so easily either.
3)
Avoid cutting 2 words in half to make a new one that no-one has
ever heard of. I remember when the word ‘Chilax’ started to be used and I asked
what it meant. When I was told that it was a cross between Chill and Relax I
shuddered! And still do. Joining 2 words together may, once again, seem cool
and funky, but it will ruin your business as no-one will remember you!
4)
BE VERY CAREFUL! Ok… so in some ways Inspired by Script is one
heluva long word when typing it into the URL…. But the abbreviation is IBS –
Yes another abbreviation for Irritable Bowel Syndrome!…. and that was not on my
list number 2 about ‘WHO I AM!’… I chose the name BEFORE websites were invented
(well…. They were…. Just!). Saying that, my other site North Yorkshire Weddings is
even longer and I should have known better by then! Perhaps, choose a name but don’t over do it! With the choice of
adding a hyperlink to your Blog Posts and Websites, email and social media etc.
most people don’t have to type it in anyway.
5)
Do a Google search and make sure no-one else has chosen the same
name!
6)
Names which conjure up a funny picture seem to be remembered well.
I remember years ago reading the book:
The Purple Cow by Seth Godin
(I love his books!) It’s a name you can’t forget…. Mainly because there are no purple
cows, a bit like spotted zebras or woolly whales…..
7) What
about something that makes people smile when they think of it? I love the idea
of the vegetarian restaurant that called itself… the Slug and Lettuce! No, it
doesn’t bring up into the imagination pictures that you want…. A slug on your
lettuce…. However, it’s fun and catchy and makes people smile.
Remember: there really are no set rules. You must be
comfortable with your chosen name as you may own it for a very long time!
I’m sure this isn’t the last time I will touch
on the matter of naming your business and hope others will have some input and
advice to share.
So, take your time…. Have a think, post words on
your fridge and add to them. Take the words down and swizzle them around on a
coffee table…. Be authentic, be memorable, be creative, BE YOU!
Have you any hints and tips for choosing a
winning Craft Business Name?
How did you arrive at yours?
Please, feel free to leave any
questions or comment, in the comments box below.
Happy creating,
Sue x
