What's in a name?

This article is all about names. What we call our business, our services and our content. Lots of business owners call their stuff generic names that everyone else uses as well. That's OK but it's a bit…boring.

We have been gifted with a rich language so why not make your business stand out and have a bit of fun coming up with creative names?

It's YOUR business after all, and you can do things YOUR way.

Business names

When you started out, did you agonise over your business name? Lots of people do. I did.

The initial name for my business was 'Smart and Efficient' as that's how I work. I bought the url and had business cards made (this is often the first thing we do when we start our business isn't it!)

But the name felt sterile and robotic. I settled on 'Jackie's Virtual Bureau' as it feels personal - I offer one to one services and I'm not an agency. It also puts a modern twist on the retro office vibe that I love. Old rotary phones are a particular pleasure of mine (I bloody hate smartphones!).

I've helped several clients with business set-up and almost all were hung up about how to choose their business name. Logos too - this is part of developing your brand and if you're doing it yourself (like I did) why not have a bit of fun? Of course, you can pay a professional brand strategist to help you, but I've found that most coaches and therapists have a limited budget at first.

I say chill out. Do it yourself - it can all be updated later and you can engage a pro when the budget allows. In any case, what you start out with is generally not what you end up with, trust me! Your branding will almost certainly change as you grow and evolve, (both you and your business!).

Another point to mention is that your business name doesn't have to be the same as your website url. Your registered business name might be 'Jane Smith Coaching' but the website might be 'Transform with Jane'.

Or you can use your own name for your website 'janesmith.com' but call your business 'Transformative Coaching' or similar. Why not see if your own domain name is available and you'll always have that as a back-up if you change your business name or fancy trying something new. I recommend Namecheap for domain names.

Service names

We all have services and packages to offer. But what to call them???

You could take the 'Friends' approach, here are some examples of massage services:

• 'The luxury one'

• 'The chill-out one'

• 'The couples one'

Lots of coaches and therapists have a 3 tier package structure, so do VA's. A typical one looks like this, with the price going up each tier:

Make it more meaningful and relevant to what you offer, for example:

Silver | Gold |  Platinum

Amethyst |  Ruby |  Diamond

Newbies|  Growers |  Leaders

OK these are a bit naff, but you catch my drift.

Content names

You can definitely put your own spin on what you call your content, blog, or newsletter.

Newsletters:

You don't have to call it a newsletter. Here are some ideas for coaches' and therapists' newsletters:

• Therapy round-up
• On the Couch
• Feel Good News
• Aroma-news
• Massage Messages
• Coaching Notes
• Insights
• Take 10
• Coffee break catch up
• Time for a breather

Play around!

(If you're a coach or therapist, you're ideally suited to send out inspirational newsletters because you have so much you can write about. There's more inspiration and some ideas for what to include in your newsletters in this article.)

My own newsletter is called a 'Monthly Memo' as it ties in with my business name Jackie's Virtual Bureau. I like the alliteration, too. If you'd like to receive the Memo, you can sign up here. You can also read past issues on my Free Resources page.

My previous newsletter was called 'Wheel of the Year' as I'm into nature and wanted a seasonal-themed newsletter. After a year I wanted a break and a change and….. that's ok!

Blogs

Again, you don't have to actually call it a blog. My blog posts are called 'Articles'. A client of mine calls her blog an 'Advice Centre'.It's a go to place for her key content. Another client's blog is called 'Pattern Recognition' (it's the way her brain scans for information). You could call your blog 'Stories', 'Insights' or 'Casenotes'.

Conclusion

I really hope I've helped you to think creatively about what you call your stuff. Always remember, it's your business, and you can call your stuff whatever you like. You also have the right to change it whenever you like!

Let me know how you get on.