"Ye Olde Pot and Bead"

Speaking of names...

That was one of the ideas for the name of my business - Ye Olde Pot and Bead. Obviously it didn't stick and looking back, I'm very glad.

Overall, I've been very happy with the name "The Pot & Bead". It wasn't taken already, the URL was available, and it was related to what we are and do.

It's been humorous, too. People like to giggle and make fun of the "pot" part of the name. Lots of people misread our sign and think it says "Pot & Bread" and come in wondering if we might be some kind of food place. Which is okay! Because they still came in the store and find out about us and go home with info and come back later to paint. Getting people to walk into your store (or visit your website) is the ultimate goal and the hard part. Once they're there, you can use your excellent customer service and fabulous-ness to turn them into customers.

My last word on business names (for now): The time, thought and care put into choosing a name is an important part of the process. Look at it for several angles, several points of view before deciding.

(Stay tuned for upcoming posts on weaknesses, communication, knowing your customers and more. To make sure you don't miss anything, subscribe to this blog through the link over on the right!)

What's in a name?

Naming your business is an important step when you startup - very few businesses ever change their name after they've started operating. This is something that requires a lot of thought.

I've been asked more than once if a name idea was "cute". It seems that a lot of folks are just looking for something "cute". There are several other factors to consider.

- Use a checklist. Come up with other things your name should be besides "cute". How about "simple"? Short? Make a list of other adjectives that you'd like for your name and run your name idea by this list. You could also have a list of things you don't want your name to be. Like a tongue twister.

- Think about the "brand" and logo that goes with it. Look at the stores and brands that everyone knows. Target is a great example. Think about your logo from day one. You might not design it yourself, but you might have a concept in mind that you can pass on to a professional graphic designer.

- Is the URL available? Your business is going to have a website. If the website URL can be the same name as the business, that's fantastic and should be a consideration. Lots of websites, like www.whois.com can tell you if a URL is taken already.

- Make sure there isn't another business with the same name. Or even a similar name.

Look around at other businesses related to yours and see what they've done. At in the end, you've got to love it, too.