Choosing the Right Business Name...

With most things relating to your business, choosing a business name is one of (if not THE most!) important parts.

It’s what will define your brand and business and should be something that withstands the test of time. This is not the part where you want opt for something trendy that you will wind up wanting to change in a year or two.

When we were first starting out on this journey, we could not decide on a name. Instead, we kept it as our legal name as we didn’t want to rush into a decision that we might regret. It took over 2 years before we finally landed on our name: Avustaa.

Pronounced Ah-voo-staa, it’s Finnish for “to serve” which fit perfectly for what we do! Usually one of the first questions we get asked is “Oh, so you’re Finnish?” Well, no. But we were having trouble landing on English words so we ventured into other languages relating to topics of what we do, and once this one appeared the lightbulb went off and we never looked back!

We spent a LOT of time on Google and various sites and blogs about “how to name your business” and other variations of that search. We know how frustrating it can be when trying to name a new business, so we also wanted to share some do’s and don’ts we gathered along the way, especially these from this article from Entrepreneur.com:

Tip #1: Don’t seek out everyone’s opinion. Asking a couple of people who’s opinions you truly respect and value – absolutely. But asking your mailperson and other random people who you normally wouldn’t ask a heavy question, leave them out of the decision.
Tip #2: Use catchy words so that you stand out, but not so unique that no one can pronounce it or understand it.
Tip #3: Don’t be so stubborn in your convictions that you won’t go back to the drawing board if your name choice doesn’t pan out. It’s not worth sending your business into the gutter if the name doesn’t fit it, or no longer serves its purpose.

And our last tip, do your research. Especially if you’re venturing into a different language, make sure you understand the meaning in multiple contexts. It’s a bonus if you know someone who speaks that language fluently!

Even though this may be one of the more difficult parts of starting a business, do your best to enjoy the process. You are creating a brand and selecting the name that best represents it – it should be something that brings you joy and PROUD of what you’re creating. There are endless resources available online to help you through this process, too.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels