According to a recent survey of small business owners in the United States, the most stressful thing about starting a new company was not manufacturing of products or advertising to customers, but coming up with a name for the small business. Entrepreneurs spend weeks and even months trying to develop the perfect name. The length of the name you choose for your small business is paramount to how well your prospective customers perceive it. A short name might be more difficult to brand, while a longer one will be difficult to remember and to promote. It is best to keep the name of your small business to three words or fewer, if possible. Ideally, the name you choose should be easily turned into an identifiable logo. Your logo – even more than your name – will be the symbol with which your customers will readily identify your small business.

Many of the world’s most successful companies have thrived under a name that never existed before the business. While this can turn into a powerful marketing tactic, stay away from made-up words that will be difficult for your customers to pronounce or spell.Before you head for the line at the DBA or begin the incorporation process, research the name you have chosen for your small business and be sure that there isn’t a likeness in your industry.You’ll want the name of your small business to convey the atmosphere and philosophy of your business. For example, a toy store should have a fun, whimsical name that attracts your target customers: children (and of course, their parents).