A good name makes marketing easier for years. A bad one costs money every time someone cannot spell it, remember it or find it.
In this article
Clear beats clever
People should know what you do from the name or the tagline. Puns that need explaining slow customers down.
Easy to say and spell
Customers will say your name to a neighbor and type it into search. Test it out loud.
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Local search
Check what shows up when people search the name in your area. Avoid names close to a competitor.
Trademark and domain
Search state business records and trademark databases, and make sure the domain and social handles are available.
Truck readability
Read it from across the street. Short names win on trucks and yard signs.
Room to grow
A name tied to one trade or one town can box you in later.
Your own name
Using your surname builds trust, but makes selling the business harder someday.
Getting started
Write ten options, say each one out loud, check availability and ask five customers which one they would remember.
Common mistakes
Long names, hard spelling and names nearly identical to a competitor.
Example
A plumber named his company after a pun only he understood. Customers kept misspelling it in search. After rebranding to a simple name with the city in the tagline, calls from search grew within months.
A simple test
Say the name on a phone call, write it on a whiteboard and put it on a mock truck image. Ask five people to spell it after hearing it once. If most get it wrong, keep looking.
Price every call so it pays.
We help service businesses set clear policies, book better jobs and turn more calls into profitable work.
Frequently asked questions
Should my service company name include my city?
It can help locally, but it can limit you if you expand. Many owners use a neutral name and add the city in the tagline and on the website.