Does a business name really matter?

[jonlangberg4896]

I have a dispute with my boss in regards to this subject. The name of his company is Snow Squared, Inc. The explanation of it is he started this company with his wife, and their last name is Snow, hence Snow Squared (see attached logo). We do insurance benefits for small businesses, and I just don't feel that name represents the business well. Something like Venture Benefits or SafeGuard Benefits seems more professional. Just as a side note, the business is new, so changing the name would not be a problem. Maybe I am thinking too much into it.

The other train of thought is, does it matter? What did people say originally when the founder of Google suggested that title? Did people say the same thing I did? "That is silly and unprofessional... what does it even mean?" Yet it is one of the most successful companies today, and people don't think twice about the silliness of the name Google... It is memorable... Any thoughts on both my specific issue with Snow Squared (does that work for people?) as well as the topic in general: "Do business names really matter?"

[KristineS]

Business names don't matter if you have tons of money to spend on marketing. Yes, Google is a silly name, but Google has spent a ton of effort and money to make sure that people remember it. If you're willing to spend the time and the funds to make sure that people remember your business name and, more importantly, associate what you do with that name, then you can name your business anything you want. One of the companies I work for is called EnMart. The name is really a shortened version of Ensign Marketplace, and doesn't really mean anything in and of itself. We've spent a ton of time and effort and money being at trade shows, talking on social media, producing videos and brochures and contacting people within our target market to let them know who we are and what we do. It's worked, but it did cost money and time and it was still slow going for a while.

The real question is how much money and effort are you willing to put in to get people to know who you are and what you do? The other question, which I can't really answer, is how people would search for companies that provide what you provide. Is "Venture Benefits" a more self explanatory company name? Probably. Does that matter? That depends on how much time you're willing to put into publicizing the business and how your target market operates.

[bjay99]

Name DOES matter - would you call your company Crap Inc?

I am not 100% sold on Snow Squared and the respective logo you presented. But then again, it is my opinion. If they have built their brand on it, then stick with it. Otherwise, change name, change logo, or change both!

[Paul Elliott]

Snow Squared sounds like a lot of snow! Failing that they have a ski resort, a lot of snow is of little benefit. That's too much negative connotation. Particularly in the insurance industry I would prefer not to be "snowed" at all, much less "squared." From the marketing point of view, the descriptive names you suggest are more representative of what the benefits are of doing business with them.

From the SEO point of view, a descriptive name will get them better ranking. "Snow" does not help them.

Google? At the time it had no connotation one way or the other.

Paul

[jonlangberg4896]

Hi guys - Thank you all for taking the time to give your input, that is greatly appreciated and I agree 100%... One question for BJay99, just out of curiosity, what do you not like about the logo? Helps to have input for designing a future logo

[jonlangberg4896]

Just out of curiosity, what do you not like about the logo? That will help me to improve the next one

[Freelancier]

As is my habit, I'm going to step back and look at the business situation.

New company. Which means -- and maybe I'm guessing here -- that you're also new at the company.

And you want to tell the boss that their branding stinks.

What exactly is your standing at the company that you decided to be their branding expert?

[Fulcrum]

Name DOES matter - would you call your company Crap Inc?

I've heard of people who did this - but they were in the natural fertilizer business.

[huggytree]

95% of names dont matter

a horrible name will kill you....and a great name can help you....but almost no one has either

a name can mean something....like using your last name typically means =quality...you stand behind your name

i chose a medium size city as part of my name....it makes it seem like ive been around forever/established

[MakingItNow]

If you are planning on generating website traffic in a tough market, I believe it does matter in the beginning. If your more of a traditional business, it doesn't matter nearly as much as you are thinking.


Just out of curiosity, what do you not like about the logo? That will help me to improve the next one
It has a negative feel to me, maybe something softer than the black letters. It doesn't look like protection, it looks angry and untrustworthy. It also seems to "busy" with the square symbol and shield together.
That's my personal opinion and should be taken lightly.

[londonmoon]

Nice to meet you Jolangberg4896. The idea of having a business is to serve people with products and services in saying that you want to stand out from your competitors as much as possible if you have any to compete with in the first place. Yes, having a business name is definitely a need if you want to reach that second step to branding, nailing what you serve in stone for your customers to identify with.

[Paul]

In a B2B serious business such as insurance related you probably want the name to reflect what you do...serious sounding "Acme Insurance Benefits" . A personal name is ok except that this name snow , well sounds like it has something to do with weather. Snow Squared means nothing and doesn't give any clue as to what you do. "Snow & Snow Insurance" might make more sense. People sometimes work too hard to be clever with the names.

[Kmarlene]

You are right. A name does matter. But only in the customers head. So long as the customer will think of you when he needs help, thats all that matters. For new customers who havent heard about you. You can add a short tagline that describes what you do. You dont want a boss that hates you. Do you?

[DeniseTaylor]

You can get a lot of mileage out of a name, especially if it describes what you do. It's almost like additional promo just by having your name out there. To figure out the best name would require surveying/market research, but if there is some idea of the market and what the target market needs, wants and finds valuable, one could probably figure out a very good name with that knowledge. Safeguard benefits is an good example because the name implies safety and security which would be a very good name if one's target market finds that kind of thing important. That name could impart peace of mind, and if it's the right "button," it could cause more people to pick up the phone and call.

It would be a good idea to narrow down and identify one's target public, who they are, what problems they have, how you help them solve them, what their fears are, etc. Then brainstorm names that would indicate to them that you resolve those issues. Create a list of potential names. Then use that list to present the candidate names to various people and get their opinion. Find out the most popular name and there you go!

Good luck!

[CallBettie]

Personally, I like cheeky business names. Professional and corporate personas bore me to tears. I will remember Snow Sq more than a stuffier name. Also, the name doesn't have to represent the nature of your business. It can certainly help if you're a start up and chose that route but I think the owner of your business has done a fine job.

[Express Web Studio]

I think a name matters.
I don't like the name either.

I see all types of "Cody's Construction" businesses and I wouldn't hire someone that doesn't take their business serious enough.
It just sounds like a guy named Cody who may be undisciplined when close attention to detail is required.

[jonlangberg4896]

Hey guys! Thank you for all of your input... We ended up changing the name to Venture Benefits, and I re-designed the website and the logo, you can check it out and tell me what you think if you want: venture-benefits (http://www.venture-benefits.com/)

[Express Web Studio]

I think that name sounds good.

Best of luck!!!

[MedTutor]

Yes, a business name matters - the more unique and catchy, the better. A good name, logo, or quote goes a long way when you want to have a presence on multiple different social media platforms - Fb, Linkedin, Google, Twitter, etc

[JayPack]

The new name and logo is much better!! Quite the improvement!! :)