theBUSINESS—Choosing a Name for your Business

This is the first part of a series I'm starting about the business side of photography. The first installment is about choosing a name for your business. Although this is geared towards photographers, the basic concepts are relevant to any small business. Enjoy! - Kevin

There are several things you need to think about when choosing a name for your business:

1. What kind of work are you going to be doing?
2. Who is your target audience?
3. What does your brand name say about your business?
4. Is your brand name something that you will like years down the line?
5. Does your name stand out? Is it memorable? Is it easy to spell?

Let me explain each of these a bit more in depth:

1. What kind of work are you going to be doing?
Although your name does not necessarily have to spell out your specific line of work, it can be beneficial to tie it in with the general idea of what you offer. You definitely do not want it to misrepresent who you are or what you offer.

2. Who is your target audience?
Or, more accurately, who are your clients? Are they engaged couples? High school seniors? Art buyers? Magazine photo editors? Are they young? Old? Do they prefer rock music or classical? The most powerful tool you have in business is your knowledge of your clients. How does this relate to your business name? Read on...

3. What does your brand name say about your business?
This is where points #1 and #2 come together—Often times, the first thing a potential client will see is your name. Whether you intend it to or not, your name will tell your client something about your business. You want your name to be something that appeals to your target demographic. For example, if your clients are mostly large corporations, a name like "Freakin' Awesome Photography" would probably not be appropriate, whereas if you were shooting mostly high school seniors it may be appropriate...maybe ;)

4. Is your brand name something that you will like years down the line?
This is something I struggled with when I was trying to come up with a name for my business. I came up with several ideas that I liked, but it took me quite a while to come up with something that I knew I wouldn't grow tired of down the line.

5. Does your name stand out? Is it memorable? Is it easy to spell?
You want your name to be something people will remember. A lot of business is gained by word-of-mouth, so if people cannot remember your name, you're out of luck. Also, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to find your website. Try to keep your name relatively short and easy to spell.

As I said, when I was looking for a brand name, I came up with several ideas that I ended up scrapping. One of those was "Photogiraffe". It was something that I had said jokingly to a friend of mine in high school. I thought that it was witty and would make a great name. However, after thinking about it, I decided against it because I knew I wanted to eventually work with some higher-end clients that might not find the name amusing. Also, it did not represent my style of work. If most of my photos contained light, humorous imagery, that name may have worked, but most of my work displays a more serious tone.

I stuck with "The Art We Breathe" for several reasons. First, it immediately connects me with my clients: The Art WE Breathe. The idea is that we're collaborating together to create art. Also, it immediately identifies that I am an artist (and a photographer when I tack "Photography" on the end...). I also knew that it was something I would still like down the line, and I still do!

The bottom line: Put a lot of thought into your name and make sure it represents you and your business.

I hope you enjoyed this first installment of theBUSINESS. Let me know what you think! Do you agree/disagree on any of these points? Do you have any additional thoughts? Leave a comment!