Thinking of starting a photography business? One of the most difficult tasks you’ll have is coming up with a name for it.
There really is a lot to consider.
What is your goal for your business?
Who is involved in the business?
Is the name already being used in the photography industry?
There are also a few more things you should consider when playing around with naming ideas.
1. Stay simple.
Its easy to over think the name of your company. You want it to be unique. You want it to stand out.
What’s the reason you are going into business in the first place? Its to make money as a photographer. So keep it simple for your potential clients.
Keep it neutral; something that’s easy to understand, easy to say, easy to remember, easy to pronounce. Make sure there are no negative connotation, and that it can’t be confused with something that may not have the best reputation.
Your name is simply a bland canvas; you control what people think about it. There is no way you will ever be able to cover everything your business does (Do you really want to use Amy’s Wedding Portrait Babies Model Commercial Photography Inc?)
The simpler you make it, the more you can play with taglines, images, colors and branding to make it uniquely your own.
2. Own it.
A name is no longer as simple as choosing a few words. Think way beyond the words, and instead think about all the things you’ll do with it. Is the domain name available? Can you get the vanity extensions on major sites like Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest? Are there any photographers in your area with a similar name? How about in your country? Around the world?
Even if you are only selling local, we live in a very small world. People head online all the time to “check things out”. What if they Google your name and someone else’s business shows up – and maybe they aren’t the most ethical photographers on Earth and have more than a few negative comments following them around?
If this is going to be your business, own it. Cover yourself in every area. Legally own it in your local region, your national region, online and off. Cover it every way you can before you start using it.
That way everything you do from this point forward will be all about you.
3. Think about your first impressions.
Your name says it all. Imagine a client making a referral, and they say “You really should call the photography company I used – they’re amazing”. When they say your name, what image immediately comes to mind?
While you may play around with cute “double meaning” phrases, or unique spellings or combinations, does it make sense when a client makes a referral?
Sophistication.
Fun.
Serious.
Light-hearted.
Think about what you are trying to portray and move forward from there.