Picking the perfect name for your new company

6 things you need to consider when naming your business during company registration

GOLD TRUSTED MERCHANT

It doesn’t matter how great your product or service is, if your company’s name isn’t up to scratch, your business may falter before it’s even had a chance to succeed. Therefore, naming your business is something that shouldn’t be done on a whim.

Here you’ll find 6 top tips to help you come up with a great company name that does your business justice. When you’re done reading this, be sure to pick up ‘What you can and can’t do when naming and registering your new company’ for a look at the Companies House rules and regulations in regards to limited company names.

Company Name Consideration 1 - Is it memorable?

What good is a name if someone forgets it when it comes to the all-important online search? Potential customers should be able to remember the name and also have a good idea of how to spell it. In fact, let’s push the boat out - they should be able to say it too.

Company Name Consideration 2 - Are you a candidate on The Apprentice?

Year after year the teams on The Apprentice never fail to demonstrate a complete lack of creativity with their team names. Ignite, Venture, Phoenix, Synergy; just a selection of words that have been used for team names. But what do they actually mean? Not much. Pick a name that actually says something about your business.

Company Name Consideration 3 - Is it too ‘now’?

Don’t give your company a name that you’ll be embarrassed about this time next year. Quotes from popular TV shows, lyrics from favourite songs, anything to do with viral videos - these will all ‘age’ your company and like a bad tattoo, will be sure to make you cringe further down the line.

Company Name Consideration 4 - How important is location to you?

There are times when using a location in the company name makes sense. For example, if your service is limited to a particular area or if your locale is a selling point. However, be careful not to give the impression that you’re a small-time operation with small-time (dare we say amateur) aspirations.

Company Name Consideration 5 - Are you unique?

Ensure that your name isn’t too similar to any other businesses out there, within your industry or outside your industry. Your business should be able to stand on its own two feet, therefore your name shouldn’t suggest a link to any other business unless you have a genuine relationship.

Company Name Consideration 6 - Could it be rejected?

Companies House are the UK’s registrar of companies and this means a company can’t be formed without their say-so. They have a number of rules and restrictions which, if not adhered to, can result in your company name being rejected. For example:

  • The company name must be unique
  • It must end in Limited, Ltd or the Welsh equivalents
  • It can’t be too similar to another registered company name
  • If any ‘Restricted words and expressions’ are used (eg, ‘Dental’ or ‘King’), permission from a governing body must be granted

Interested in finding out more? We’ve written an eBook dedicated to these Companies House rules and regulations: ‘What you can and can’t do when naming and registering your new company’. Download the eBook for a comprehensive - but still simple - look at the dos and don’ts of naming a UK limited company.

Download the eBook now

Brought to you by Company Formation MadeSimple, the UK’s leading online company formation provider. Established in 2002, we have helped more than 1 million people get their company started. Are you next?

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