This column is sponsored by BizLaunchdivision of Arlington Economic Development.
One of the most important parts of a business is undoubtedly its brand. It’s how customers get to know businesses; it is communicated in a business’s marketing materials and is one of the ways businesses can differentiate themselves from the competition.
In this week’s Small Business Focus, we’ll discuss how businesses can protect their name and what to look for when choosing a brand for your startup.
When thinking about your business brand, the elements that make a business name successful should:
- Easy to pronounce
- Easy to spell
- Give some meaning to what the business does
Once you’ve created a successful name that follows these three rules, you’ll want to ensure that creative minds don’t think alike and that your name isn’t used by another business.
- First, you’ll want to make sure the name isn’t already registered by another company. In Virginia, you can use the Virginia SCC Title Availability Check to quickly find if your business name is available. Simply enter your name and if available, you can register it. Seems simple enough, right? While this is a good start, you’re not quite done yet. Since we live in the tri-state area, we also encourage startups to check the DC and Maryland records to see if the name is being used by any of our neighbors across the river.
- Second, search your name on the internet using Google and social media sites like Instagram or Facebook. First, you’ll want to know what your business name is associated with on the Internet and see if anyone is using that name or a name similar to your business. Some clients have skipped this step, only to realize that when they type the business name into Google, disgusting images appear.
- Finally, check to see if another business has trademarked your business name. A trademark is intellectual property that protects other businesses, national and international, from using your name. You can search for trademarks on the US Patent and Trademark Office website using the address Trademark search system.
Once you’ve done your due diligence and your name is available, it’s a good idea to use it for your business. However, if the name is already registered or similar to a trademarked brand, you may want to consider using a different name to avoid confusion with your customers and potential lawsuits.
There is so much to think about when starting a business, from deciding on the right name to regulatory compliance to marketing and sales. BizLaunch is your one stop shop for all things starting and running a small business. To learn more, visit us at www.bizlaunch.org or plan a individual consultation today.