Some people have no problems in naming a consulting business, and the ideas come to them naturally. For others, it may not be that easy.
When you work in business consulting or a similar domain, you need to draw the clients in. The right name can express presence, focus, and trust. If you don't know where to start, this article can help you with a few tips and tricks.
Note: If you are running or planning on starting a consulting business, try Bonsai to take the headache away from tasks. Our software has templates, task management, time tracking, and tax tools to help you organize and streamline your business. Try a 7-day free trial here.
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Consulting company names matter because they're like a door to your clients. They may decide to use your services based on their connotations.
A powerful consulting company name may grab the attention of your client. Together with your branding efforts, a good name can help you stand out among your competitors and place you at the top of the marketplace.
Choosing a unique business name is a good strategy. That being said, some business owners still prefer to add their own names. If you are one of those people, here are several instances when it might be suitable:
If none of the points above apply to you, consider different ideas for your professional consulting firm. Your own name may prove to be a disadvantage.
Note: if you want to streamline your consulting business, try Bonsai. We have pre-made proposal, invoice, consulting agreement templates, tax, task management and time tracking tools you could use to run/grow your business. Claim your 7-day free trial here.
When you're looking for a business consulting name, you must consider several factors. These can include:
Names that are difficult to spell or pronounce may throw your customers off course. Your clients should be able to write down your company's name as soon as they hear it.
The name should be close to your consulting industry, and not require explanations. Be careful of potential unwanted connotations, as these may discourage your clients.
Depending on your plans for your business consulting company, you should consider scalability. Think about whether the name can be used globally, or if it works just locally.
A strong business consulting name should be unique. Look it up online and see if there are any trademarks for it. If other businesses have similar names, this may lead to confusion.
A business consulting firm's name should have a clear purpose. It cannot be a random one that just sounds good. When you name a consulting business, here are a few practices that can help you:
If you have a small company that operates locally, using geography can help reach the target audience. For example, if you offer cleaning services in just one town, its name can help you reach a potential client.
A consulting business works differently, as it can offer its services online. If you have a company named Boston Consulting Group, then you limit your services only to Boston and North America.
If you ever want to expand your business to other places, the name may not help you. Even if you build brand identity and expand, potential clients may still go past your services.
They will think you only cater to a specific area, so they won't even try to reach out to you.
Unless you have the capital to start a big consulting company, you need to find your niche. Your choice will depend on your experience.
Once you have it, you may incorporate it into your business name. For example, if you worked in HR, a good option can be something like "HR Resolutions."
Consulting firm names must be memorable, but short and easy to remember. If the name seems drawn out, then it might intimidate your potential customers.
The best consulting company names can be no more than one word. Look at how well Apple or Google are doing. Simple is always better.
If you cannot decide on a business name, you should think of a mission statement. These are longer and express the values of your business.
Once you finish drawing it out, you may begin brainstorming for names. The new consulting business name should express the feelings backing your mission.
Trends can be good for your marketing efforts. You will be looked up often when the trend is up because the relevant keywords are frequently used.
The problem is that they are only effective in the short term. Trends can become outdated, losing their power over the marketplace. Using the wrong trend in consulting business names will eventually backfire.
As the owner of a consulting business, you will help other people overcome challenges. For this reason, when you name a consulting business, you need to express that feeling.
Negative connotations may still work if you already have strong brand equity. Look at how well Urban Decay is doing. Even so, it is still a risk.
It is safer to give your consulting business a positive connotation. It suggests trust and it may convince the business consulting clients to work with you.
Many big companies use acronyms, and it works well for them. That being said, a consulting business may not have as much success.
Acronyms will make your consulting firm name sound rigid. A short business name that uses a full word may be more likely to succeed.
When you are just beginning to create your brand identity, you may not know what future offerings are ahead of you. Think about what you want to do with the business later on.
For example, you may want to get a business partner or employees. In this case, using your own name may not be such a good idea. Or perhaps you may want to sell the business. If the future is uncertain, refrain from using your name.
Sometimes, a business name may sound great only until you see it as part of a domain. Double-check for how it sounds in various circumstances, making sure that it has sense.
For instance, Rogers Exchange LLC may seem a fabulous idea, until your domain ends up like rogersexchange.com. Or maybe your company name includes "Property Management Systems," which gets shortened to PMS (which can mean something else).
Some people may understand and look you up for the right reason. Others may think that you offer a different service.
Many successful companies are forced into rebranding their company due to their business name. By double-checking beforehand, you will be able to spare yourself the hassle.
When you are devoid of options, a name generator may prove useful. There are multiple platforms online that can provide interesting business name ideas.
These generators can offer a long list of business consulting names, but not all of them may be good. Find the ones that are close to what you need and edit them upon preference. You should check whether your top options are already taken or not.
Your value proposition may help generate good consulting business names. This unique description of your company will suggest how you are different from others in your competition. Once you put those values in the name, your clients will know what they can gain by working with you.
If you work with platforms such as Bonsai that record your proposals as a freelancer, you may use that information. Think about the work you have provided before you decided to set up your own business.
Recommended reading: Discover how to write a proposal for consulting services.
Note: If you would like a pre-made consulting proposal template to pitch new potential clients, try Bonsai. Bonsai's software lets you organize all the proposals you send out, and use a customizable template to create stunning pitch documents. Claim your 7-day free trial here.
Unless you are naming a coffee shop or a similar quirky business, puns should have no part in your business name. Consulting firms need a certain degree of professionalism.
If you use a pun for the name, then people may not take you seriously enough. For your business to stand out, you should think of a different strategy.
Some business owners may have questions about choosing a name. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions:
You should check with your family, friends, and potential customers. If the name is easy to remember, then it will likely make an impression. A good business consulting name should have no negative connotation in it either.
Yes, there are several consulting name generators that you may use for potential business names. You may choose some and tweak them based on your preferences for the company. Once you have some ideas, you may check for trademarks. Check for trademarks here.
By law, consulting companies don't have to trademark their names. Still, not doing so will put you at risk. If another company registers your business name after you, then you may face a lawsuit later on.
It doesn't matter if you started a business consulting company before them. As they have the trademark, they may still force you to deliver any goods you have under their name.
Finding a good business consulting name may seem challenging at first. That being said, with a bit of research, you may easily get to the perfect fit. Think about your business values and choose a name that can express them.
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