How do you choose a name for your wedding business?

Choosing a name for your wedding business will impact your business for the life of your company. In this article, learn what makes a good name, and how to protect your name one you’ve decided.

The name you choose will impact your business for the life of your business. It’s something you should give careful consideration to, and choose not only for your current desires, but also for continued growth down the road.

Start by answering a few questions. Will you specialize, or be more general with your business? What type of client will you market to?

If you have a well defined niche, and know you will be catering to this niche indefinitely, you may decide to choose a business name that is representative of that niche. Many companies have become household names because of their focused marketing. They are known for one particular field, and they do it well.

If you are starting out as a sole entrepreneur, and will be covering a variety of specialties, you might be better off naming your business something more generic. Good examples may be Kim Smith Photography, Kim Smith Wedding Planning, or Kim's Floral.

Keep in mind that as a business owner, your goals and desires may change over time.

One prominent photographer spent over ten years as a wedding photographer. Slowly, he developed a desire for less traveling, less weekend work, and moved his business interests into the senior photography market. After becoming one of the best in this niche, his interests once again began to change. He slowly changed his desires into baby photography, and is now an exclusive photographer for babies and new moms. His business focus changed; but his business name never did.

Once you have several ideas in mind, its time to make your name official. Even though there is a lot of room for creativity when choosing your photography business name, there are three things to consider before choosing one officially.

First, is your proposed name available? As a minimum, you must register your name with your local State government. Most state governments will research their database, and verify that no other business in the state is doing business using your selected name. If it clears, you will be able to register it with the state.

Second, will you be trademarking your name? A trademark is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and allows you hold your name, symbol, or other distinguishable mark without infringement. This can be of benefit if you are thinking of operating in more than one location, or will be traveling to other areas with your business.

Third, is domain name available for you to design your website? Your domain name should match your business name as closely as possible. People will type in your business name into search engines when looking for you; imagine the consequences to your business if a competitor’s site is displayed instead.
 
Once your name is official, you are ready to start your business.