"Pick
a business name that lets customers know what you sell."
That's what I was told back in the
1990s as I created my plan to start a gift basket business.
But other businesses don't follow that advice.
The name Payless
doesn't tell you what you're paying less for, and the name Best Buy
gives you no clue as to what they sell.
Only when you visit or hear an advertisement for Payless (the name given to
both a shoe store and automotive parts store) and Best Buy (an electronics
store) do you know what you can buy.
So why does the name of your gift basket shop have to follow that rule. The
simple answer? It doesn't have to.
Many gift basket makers select business names that instantly tell a
potential customer what they sell. Examples are:
- Gift Baskets by Becky
- Greta's Gift Baskets
- All in a Basket
- Gift Baskets and Beyond
- A Tisket, A Tasket
This strategy is helpful with marketing. A person who needs a gift basket
and hears these business names immediately know that these companies make
the type of gifts she wants.
Then there are gift basket makers who think out of the box. They want their
business names to sound as creative as the gifts they create. Examples of
these names are:
- Unique Arrangements
- Carletta Bay
- Occasions
- Cathy's Cottage
- Your Every Wish
Which is your choice for choosing a name for your gift basket business?
Is a name that immediately lets people know what you sell the way to go, or
is a name that's unique and different better suited for you?
In either case, the name you select will do three things for you. It will:
- Make you smile every time you say it and when customers say it
- Identify something about your gift baskets that is memorable
- Elevate you above all other gift basket makers in your area
Here are tips on how to name a gift basket business.
1. Write your ideas on a computer, or use pen and paper to document your
ideas (but don't use any pen and paper; get out your journal and favorite
pen for this important decision).
2. Think about and write down words that make you happy. This can include
your children's names, places where you grew up, nicknames friends call you,
or favorite location spots (forget proprietary words such as Disney or
McDonald's; you cannot include those words in your name).
3. Start combining words and saying it aloud to hear how the words sound
together. For example, Beautiful Bountiful Baskets by Bonnie is a mouthful.
Beautiful Baskets by Bonnie is better, and Baskets by Bonnie is short,
sweet, and to the point, especially when considering what you want people to
remember.
4. Narrow down your choices to no more than three top contenders. One of
those names or a combination of those names (a word from each contender)
will become your business name.
5. Share your choices with trusted friends and/or family and ask their
opinion. Do not feel badly about any harsh opinions (sometimes this sharing
reveals a friend isn't really a friend), as this will be your business name,
not theirs.
6. Wait a few days to determine if, in your mind, the name is the right one.
Remember, if it is, it will make you smile. If you're still not sure, you
haven't yet chosen the right name. Begin again with No. 1, and you'll be
happy that you didn't settle for just any name.
Choosing the right name for your gift basket business takes time and talent
which is also true about the beautiful designs you create. The perfect name
will make your business thrive and put a smile on the faces of everyone who
buys your gorgeous creations.
