How to Name Your Business: 10 Things to Consider

Your business name is one of the first marketing decisions you’ll ever make—and it keeps working (or not working) every day after that. A strong name makes you easier to remember, easier to recommend, and easier to find online.

Summary

A great business name is clear, memorable, easy to say, and fits the customers you want.
The best names also work well as a domain, logo, and social handle.

Why naming matters more than people think

A business name isn’t just a label. It affects:

  • whether someone remembers you after meeting once
  • whether a neighbor can recommend you easily
  • whether your name looks credible on a truck, yard sign, or postcard
  • whether customers can search for you and find the right business

In local services especially, your name often becomes a shortcut for trust.

Top 10 things to consider when naming your business

1) Clarity beats cleverness

If people can’t tell what you do, you’ll spend money explaining it.

Example: “Summit Roofing” is immediately clearer than “Summit Solutions.”

2) Make it easy to say out loud

Most referrals happen in conversation: > “Call __ — they were great.”

If your name is hard to pronounce, people won’t share it.

3) Make it easy to spell

If customers can’t spell it, they can’t search it, type it, or message it.

Avoid:

  • unusual spellings
  • hyphens
  • tricky punctuation

4) Think about how it looks on a logo, sign, and postcard

Your name should be readable at a glance:

  • on a business card
  • on a yard sign
  • on a vehicle decal
  • on a postcard headline

Shorter names often win here.

5) Avoid being too generic

Names like “Quality Services” blend in and don’t stick.

Instead, try:

  • a strong word + your service (“Blue Oak Plumbing”)
  • a memorable local reference (if appropriate)
  • a unique phrase that still feels credible

6) Match the feel of the customers you want

Names communicate a vibe:

  • premium: “Heritage,” “Stone,” “Craft,” “Reserve”
  • friendly/local: “Neighborhood,” “Family,” “Hometown”
  • modern/fast: “Swift,” “Pulse,” “Rapid,” “NextDay”

Pick the tone you want associated with your brand.

7) Consider future expansion

If you might grow into new services, be careful with overly narrow names.

Example:

  • “Gutter Clean Pros” limits you if you later do roofing and siding.
  • “Exterior Care Co.” leaves room to expand.

8) Watch out for location traps

Using your city name can build local trust (“Naples Tree Co.”), but it can also limit you later if you expand beyond that city.

A good compromise:

  • use region/state instead of a single town
  • or skip location and build local identity through messaging

9) Check availability: domain + social handles

Before you fall in love with a name:

  • search the web for similar businesses
  • check if the domain is available (preferably .com)
  • check Instagram/Facebook handle options

Even a great name becomes frustrating if it’s impossible to claim online.

If your name is too close to another business in your industry/region, you’ll confuse customers and potentially create legal risk.

Quick checks:

  • Google the name + your city
  • search state business registries (where relevant)
  • check trademark databases if you’re scaling

Final recommendation

If you’re stuck, start with this simple naming formula:

[Memorable word] + [What you do]

Example: “Stonebridge Roofing” / “Brightline Cleaning” / “Evergreen Landscape Co.”

Try our Business Name Generator

If you want fast, original ideas tailored to your industry, use our tool here:
Name Generator