Choosing Your Business Name

[Roy Spidle]

Recently I have been wrestling with myself and loosing badly. I am trying to develop a business name. I am not (nor have I ever been) one of those types of people that can come up with catchy names for anything. My wife is an Esthitician (facials, waxing, detoxificatons, etc.) and her name came to her quite easily, Peace of Heaven. But alas, we together can't think of anything.

Here is where you come in

I am not looking for specific names for my business but rather the process in which you used that help you create yours. Everything I can think of is sounding corny or cheesy to me and nothing just smacks me over the head and says, "HERE I AM!"

Any ideas? Share your stories.

Thanks



-me

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Affiliated Appraisers, Inc.

Says what we were and got us near the top in the yellow pages.

Today it would have to be

AArdvark Appraisals

Can't you see the logo....this aardvark with his nose stuck in a little house :rainfro:

 

[Soar Ohio]

Look in the yellow pages and make sure your company name will be listed first.

 

[Jeff Horton]

Mine was easy. My dad has already named it and I didn't want to change it. :mrgreen: Horton Appraisal, not my choice at all. I later changed it to Horton Appraisal and Inspection for obvious reasons.

Honestly I don't think catchy name matters that much in Appraising unless you want to do lots of work for the public. Of course something easy to remember is good.

Fact is AMC's only care about fee's and turn time.
Most lenders want some that hits the number.
The few really good ones want an honest appraiser.

I don't think a catchy name really helps there. But I would have named my business something catchy if I had the chance.

 

[Francois K. Gregoire]

Nearly everyone I know in this neck of the woods tends to use their name, last name, or last names of the firm's principals.

My company - Gregoire & Gregoire, Inc.

Why? My Dad, the other Gregoire, had been in the real estate business in St. Petersburg since the early '60's. His companies? Donald K. Gregoire Realty and Gregoire - Gibbons, Inc. Fortunately, for me, he had and has, a super reputation and a unique name that few can pronounce without prompting.

What I sell is my skill and reputation. Nothing says that better than my name.

No advertising other than a small Yellow Page ad, a free spot on Appraiser USA and a free web page from the Florida Association of REALTORS. Most of my work is referrals and I stay buried..

You can't use my name, but can use your own. Start building your reputation.

 

[TC]

How about ACME Appraisal

at your service
day and night
we do the job
and do it right


AAAACCCMMMMEEEE!!!


Moe, Larry, Curley
:dance:

ps love that dance guy

 

[Roy Spidle]

Nice TC

Honestly, I was thinking of the "A" name thing, but I know when I look through the phone book, I generally tend to steer clear of the AAAA <whatever business here> ones. I don't know why, just have a sleezy feeling about them. Maybe because some of the worst lender experiences I have had have been companies with names like that (apologies in advance if anyone here has an appraisal business named AAAA Appraisal)

I was thinking something that represents me, my values, and beliefs. I have been googling and surfing all day trying to find some inspiration for a name. For some strange reason, Appraising to pay for Golf/Home/Wife LLC (NOT necesarily in that order) doesn't sound very good :mrgreen:

Thanks for the replies so far.....anyone else?

How did you come up with your business name?

-me

 

[wyecoyote]

Ok I went the rought that most others chose. Nyberg Appraisals. The reason was trying to think of a catchy name. Finally boiled down to that my Mom who is an UW and previously a MB stated that name recognitian is a good thing in this business. Which is actually true in away. There has been atleast twice this month where she talked to another person about me and they knew my name in someway. 1 was an UW who saw may reports before and liked my work. 2 was a lo who said good things about me because I got a report for him done when I said it would be completed. So in some ways your name is what you are selling along with your services. Catchy names are good but in the long run so is your own name.

 

[Steve Wyrick]

Mike G.

Can't use Aardvark Appraisals, that is mine.

"We dig for the value"

Seriously considered it. When you check out the description of an Aardvark, they have a long nose that is very sensitive and they are constantly poking their nose into anything looking for ants to eat. They have long sharp front claws at the end of very strong front legs that they use to dig into large termite and ant hills, their primary food. Lastly they are slow steady movers that can cover long distances at a steady ground eating pace.

Kind of sounds like most appraisers, digging around for information, poking there nose into everything and steady but ground eating pace.

 

[Stone]

We kept the family name. We aren't in the yellow pages and most of our early clients were contacts that my father had, so the family name was important (Still is). Works pretty well, but would put us pretty low in a listing.