Strategies to Name Your LLC

Most entrepreneurs who are just starting out and preparing to start a limited liability company (LLC) struggle with finding the perfect name for their business.

It’s an important decision since your LLC name will be the first impression that potential customers will have of your company.  

Here we’ll provide some strategies to help you come up with a winning name for your LLC.

LLC Naming Tips

There are any number of ways to come up with an LLC name, and the right method sometimes depends on the nature of the business. Here are some tips that can jump-start your thinking.

Convey a Message

Often, it’s a good idea to convey some sort of message in your name. You may want to convey something related to your value proposition, such as a benefit that your product offers, or words that convey your company mission. If you’ve yet to create a value proposition and mission statement, it’s a good time to do it. It may help you to come up with ideas for your LLC name.

An example of business names that convey a benefit might be “Speedy Meal Delivery,” or “Healthy Sandwich Shop,” or “Precision Flooring”.  Those names all send a message that should appeal to a target market. 

Make It Easy to Spell and Remember

You certainly don’t want people to have trouble finding your business online because they can’t remember or spell your business name!  Keep it short and simple, but unique, so that it sticks in people’s minds. Think “Google” or “Amazon”. It doesn’t get much simpler and more memorable than that.

Think SEO

Using keywords in your LLC name can help you come up higher in search engine results, so if you plan to have a strong online presence, you might consider using a key search term in your business name. Think about what people will search for online when they’re looking for what you have to offer. For example, if you have an online record store, use the word records or vinyl in your name.

Allow Room for Expansion

You don’t want to pigeonhole your business by making your LLC name too narrow. For example, if you’re starting a floor tiling business, you might later expand to offer other types of flooring. In that case a name like “Precision Tiling” is too narrow. “Precision Flooring”, on the other hand, allows you to expand. 

Also, if you use a location in your name, you’re going to run into a roadblock if you expand your business to other areas. If you use a name like “Cleveland Auto Repair” but you want to open a new location in Columbus, you’re stuck and might have to register a new name.

Get Feedback

Once you have a list of potential names, ask for feedback from family and friends. They may be able to evaluate your names from a potential customer’s perspective. You could gather several people together and write all your potential names on a whiteboard and open the floor for discussion. They could even vote for their favorite.

Verify Your State’s LLC Name Regulations

Every state has certain LLC name regulations, so you’ll need to make sure the name you use is in compliance. All states require that your LLC name contain either the words “limited liability company” or one of its abbreviations. So, “Precision Flooring” could be “Precision Flooring LLC”. 

States also generally prohibit certain words that could confuse your business with a government agency, or words like “bank” or “university”. Some states have stricter rules than others. For example, Michigan has an extensive list of prohibited words. 

Check Name Availability

Once you pick an LLC name, you’ll need to make sure that it’s available to use. Start with your state’s Secretary of State website, or the relevant department that handles business registrations. You’ll be able to do a search for your proposed LLC name and get results that show any business names that are similar to yours. 

Once you know that the name is available in your state, you’ll also want to make sure that it’s not nationally trademarked by checking the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website. 

Then you’ll want to see if the domain name, such as PrecisionTiling.com, is available by checking a site like GoDaddy. 

Finally, just do some searching online to see if the name is being used in other states, or even internationally. Even if a company using the name in a different location is not your competitor, people could still confuse your companies when searching online.

Protect Your Name

Your best bet is to go ahead and formally register your LLC to lock in the name, but if you’re not ready to do so, most states allow you to reserve the name for a certain period of time, usually 180 days. However, this doesn’t prevent someone from trademarking the name during that reservation period. It only protects the name in your state. That’s why registering your LLC now is your best bet.

Once you form your LLC, you can choose to trademark the name so that no other businesses in the country can use it. It generally takes 12 to 18 months for the trademark registration to be approved, but if you plan to expand your business to other states, it may be worthwhile.

A trademark registration also comes with a cost, usually between $250 and $350, but again, it may be worthwhile depending on your future plans.

You should also go ahead and purchase the domain name at this point. Using a “.com” or “.org” is your best bet, as the other options make your site appear less credible. 

In Closing

Choosing an LLC name is an important step in starting a business. It’s going to be the first impression people have of your company for as long as you’re doing business, so choose wisely. Using the suggested strategies can help you come up with ideas, and you should get feedback from others, but ultimately the decision is up to you. Your business is your baby, so name it with care, and then get ready to embark on your entrepreneurial journey!