Say My NAme, Say My Name-

Say My Name, Say My Name –
Sherea VeJauan

Say My Name, Say My Name – Christening Your Business for Publicity SuccessAfter you get that flash of brilliance to start a new business or to add a new product or service to an existing business, you immediately begin fleshing out the details. Who is this business for? How much should I charge for this service? How much will this cost to launch? And most importantly, just what am I going to call it???In many cultures naming is serious business. Growing up African American I have come across some very unique names (along with attitudes if you misspell or mispronounce those names). While it may be cute when naming children to be different and use a ‘z’ in place of an ‘s’, in business you may not always be around to correct the pronunciation or spelling of your name. Yes, your business name should reflect who you are; but there is a difference between being different and being difficult.So what does all this have to do with publicity? If your goal is to capture public and media attention, you want to make it as easy for them as possible to remember who you are and to be able to find you when they are ready to patronize your business. When we create media materials for our clients, the name of their businesses along with the name of the event plays a big part in the publicity campaign.Here is a 4-point test for choosing a name for your business or product:• Is it easy to spell?• Is it easy to remember?• Is it easy to pronounce?• Does it say who you are and what you do? Take a look at the following examples and see how they pass. What comes to mind when you see the name of each one?• Positive Relations?• Kids Book World?• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?Now that you have the perfect name for your new company or product, you must take the necessary steps in securing that name. In the case of a business, if you decide to not use your own name (example: Sheréa VéJauan’s Hair Salon), you're going to need a fictitious business name, or DBA (Doing Business As) in order to legally conduct business. With a DBA statement, you can now publish your business name everywhere: the phone book, your business cards, advertisements, directories, etc. You're putting yourself at risk without one.Here are a few extra tips to consider before finalizing your naming decision.• Are you going to have a website for this business? Be sure to check and see if the name you picked is available in the form of a web address, or domain name. Go to our sister website using the following linkhttps://www.securepaynet.net/gdshop/rhp/default.asp?prog_id=positiverelations&isc=wwbb367to do an easy search.• The ultimate protection for the name of your business or product is a trademark. You can do a free trademark search and find out the process for applying for one at http://www.uspto.gov. Even if you decide not to get a trademark, this will help to ensure that you aren’t infringing upon someone else’s mark (which is illegal and could result in a lawsuit).