smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Four out of five small firms are starting out on the wrong foot by giving their business a name that does not stick in people’s minds, according to a survey carried out by the British Chamber of Commerce.

The time taken to pick out a name appears to be key as various respondents took from less than a minute to over a week to decide, while a small minority are still yet to choose a moniker despite actually trading.

Because of this range of timescales, the Microsoft Small Business Team, which commissioned the research, believes that 81% of small firms are coming up with “an eminently forgettable name”. To offer some advice, the team enlisted the help of three-time World Memory Champion Andi Bell.

"The simple fact is that too short or too long a time spent on deciding what to call your business can adversely affect how memorable the final name is," explains Bell. "After you come up with a possible name, you should then reflect on it over a 24-hour period in order to properly consider its memorability. However, more time than this can be a mistake because, as the name becomes more familiar to you, it will start to seem more inherently memorable than it might actually be."

Bell has produced a list of tips for start-ups to consider when choosing their name. These include connecting a “concrete noun” to a brief business description (eg, Crown Windscreens); avoiding created words such as Tesco or Asda, which are more effective for big businesses; or using a location name if appropriate. Using ‘poetic’ devices such as alliteration (Smiths Smoothies) or rhyming (Jones Phones) to create a name that trips off the tongue also makes it more memorable..

For the full list of tips visit www.bcentral.co.uk/whatsinaname

A separate survey, from communications consultancy The Aziz Corporation, has suggested that it’s personality that counts in business. Three quarters of directors and senior managers consider a cheerful manner to be a strong advantage while more than half say a sense of humour is a great asset for a business person.

The survey also discovered that a neutral accent speaks loudest in commerce. Half thought a posh accent was a drawback while an amazing 86% feel a working class accent would hold an entrepreneur back. Two-thirds said a neutral accent was a strong advantage.

(30/3/05)

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