Steps To Follow: How To Come Up With A Business Name

Do you intend to start your business in the near future? You may already know what your main activity will be, you may not have thought of the name of your business yet.

However, finding a name for your company or brand is a choice that must be thought out beforehand. Here are all our tips for finding the best possible name for your future company.

As well regarding how to come up with a business name? You can also seek advice from experts for any advice during your business creation, which is free with us.

How To Choose A Name For Your Company?

The name of a company aims to send a clear message about its sector of activity but also to convey a feeling of conformity with the values it seeks to convey to its customers.

The step of choosing the name of the company is therefore a crucial step when creating a company.

How To Find A Brand Name Related To The Market?

First of all, define your positioning, your objectives, your offer and your values to have a solid base on which to work. Experts will be able to guide you to set up your projects. Then think about what your target customers are looking for to avoid abstract or generic terms.

The ideal is to find names that relate to the market niche you want to conquer. You will have plenty of time to change your business name as your business grows to attract international customers. On the other hand, do not describe your business in the name in case you turn to modifying your product or service.

How Do I Know If The Company Name Already Exists?

The best way to be sure of the availability of your name in relation to a corporate name or a trade name is to consult the data.inpi.fr database of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) free of charge, which contains data relating to the national register of commerce and companies as well as the SIRENE database of INSEE.

For even more certainty, it is recommended that you complete this search with an in-depth search (search for spelling, phonetic and intellectual similarities) on brand and company names. This action can be carried out online on the INPI website.

Choose Simplicity

Many businesses struggle to build a customer base because of an unpronounceable name. Paradoxically, this choice starts from a good attention on the part of the partners, namely to stand out from its competitors by trying to attract consumers with an original name.

But many companies eventually had to change the name of the company because the consumer does not necessarily understand the choice and the field of the company.

Originality and simplicity are the key words when choosing a name for your business. It is better to choose short words that refer to your activity

Name Generators (How To Invent A Name?)

A business name or brand name generator is a computer tool that using artificial intelligence will give you name suggestions for your next business idea. The generator will suggest a unique name and also suggest business name ideas that are related to the category you have chosen.

Of course, you also need to think for yourself beforehand because the more prepared you are before generating business names, the better the results will be.

Registering Your Business Name: The Essential Steps

When you start a business, you must have a name for your business. Once you have found the name, it is important to register your business name.

The Brand Filing File

The trademark registration with the INPI is a key moment when creating a trade name in the development of a company. The brand image is a very important element in the protection of the identity of a product. It also allows your business to build an image of trust with your customers.

Also, the registration of your trademark protects you from counterfeiting, protects your domain name… all this thanks to specific procedures put in place to fight against counterfeiting, which are easier to apply than unfair competition procedures.

To be registered, the trademark must:

Be free (Look at the availability of the name);
Be distinctive (the mark must designate your company and not another);
Be legal (no controlled designations)
Not to be contrary to good morals (no offensive terms…)

The mark must not be misleading, i.e. it must not mislead consumers about the quality of the designated product.

It must not be descriptive of the designated product or service and finally it must not repeat the essential characteristics of this product, nor use a common name that would allow it to be designated (e.g. the “water” brand to designate water cannot be filed).

Examination Of The File By The INPI

Once your file has been sent, the INPI will study it in order to be sure that your brand name is in the rules. It is possible that the INPI will ask you for various explanations, clarifications on certain aspects. This being the case, the INPI does not oppose as to the anteriority of your mark.

If the INPI validates your file, your trademark will be registered with the BOPI and you will receive a registration certificate.

How Much Does It Cost To File A Business Name?

The costs of filing the company name depend on the number of classes for which you have requested registration at the INPI. It will be necessary to pay 190 € for a class then 42 € per additional class.

On average, filing a business name with the INPI costs €210. For protection on an international scale, an additional budget of approximately €250 is required.

Regarding the reservation of a domain name, the costs can vary from a few euros to sometimes several tens of euros depending on the provider.