Picking a Great Name for Your New Business

Post #2: Take these steps to ensure that your new business name has not yet been claimed

In this Substack, I will walk you through the process of starting, operating, maintaining, and — if needed — selling or closing your own small business.

Today, I am going to share a list of resources that you should check in order to be sure that your new business name is not already claimed.

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👉 Subscribe if you want to learn how to setup, operate, maintain, scale, etc… a small business. The Journey began with Post #1.

To review, in Post #1 your task was to just think about what product or service you want to provide to your future customers and why you want to do so.

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Patience is a Virtue

If you are anything like me, you are excited to roll up your sleeves and want to move along quickly.

But… coming up with a great business name is an important step that should not be taken too lightly.

And, the more you learn, the less of a struggle it will be to become a business owner!

Legal Considerations of Choosing a Name

No one likes to get sued or end up in trouble for stealing someone else’s business name. So, take the time to do this the right way.

Naming your new business can be really easy, if you know what and why you want to be a business owner.

However, you may not be the first person with this business idea.

(and that’s okay)

So what can you do to avoid coming up with a name for your business that is already taken?

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9 Resources to Verify Whether a Business Name is Claimed

Let’s walk through a basic checklist of how you can verify whether a business name has already been taken.

1. Perform a general web search for each name on your list to check for existing businesses or similar names. [See: Post #3]

2. Check with your state’s Secretary of State to see if the business name has already been registered. [See: Post #4]

3. Check with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to see if there are any trademarks that have been previously registered, which are same or similar to your business name idea. [See: Post #5]

4. Check with a DNS (Domain Name Service) to see if the name has already been taken in the form of a website URL. [See: Post #6]

5. Check with Google Maps to see if there are any other businesses which have a physical location which may already have the name taken. [See: Post #7]

6. Check major social media platforms to see if the name or similar handles are already in use. [See: Post #8]

7. Check with local licensing authorities or municipal business directories for duplicate names. [See: Post #9]

8. If you are hoping (or planning) to go international, check for conflicts in international databases like WIPO’s Global Brand Database. [See: Post #10]

9. Ensure the name is not easily confused with existing businesses due to similar pronunciation or spelling. [See: Post #11]

While it may seem daunting to check all of these places, you definitely want to take these actions to avoid messy legal battles or expenses from existing companies in the future.

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Brainstorming for Business Name Ideas

With a clear idea of your products and services in mind, you are ready to take the next step.