When I was setting up my restaurant in 2011 one of the hardest things that I found was creating a great restaurant name. Now this is something which I knew was important as the power of a good business name cannot be underestimated. I wanted something memorable and something intriguing and after much time spent and consideration, Ayahuasca Orlando was born. The restaurant is latin based and we make a selection of cuisine from Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, so the name seemed to fit right in. If you are trying to come up with a name for your business and you are struggling, here is how I’d recommend finding the name that sticks.
Who You Are
Whilst there are a great many examples of businesses which have cryptic names and have done very well, I always feel that the name should represent what your business is all about, at least to some degree. The name Ayahuasca doesn’t instantly scream restaurant, but it does give the indication of something latino and something a little bit mysterious. Aim to tell a story with the name of your company and for it to represent what you are all about.
Simplicity
I think a trap that so many business owners fall into is that they try to make the name of their business overly complex and as a result they end up with a strange name that nobody really gets. With this in mind I would suggest that you aim for simplicity in your business name, something that is easy to say, easy to remember and that is also punchy.
Marketing
When I was coming up with names for the business I really had one eye on a logo and a marketing campaign in order to test out what would really work. This was much of the reason why I settled on Ayahuasca, because I could easily see what type of logo and marketing strategy we could use with that name. Marketing and branding are going to be key aspects of your business so it makes a lot of sense for you to be thinking of this when you are coming up with your business name. A long winded or boring name is not going to set the world alight when you start marketing it.
Ask For Suggestions, Not Decisions
There is nothing wrong with asking other people to come up with some suggestions for you, but you must ensure that it is you who makes the ultimate decision. Group decisions just don’t work in this regard and this is why you should make sure that you make the final call. When people give suggestions, no matter how ridiculous they may be, they can massively help you in coming up with new ideas and thinking differently about what the name will be. Even if someone gives you an absurd suggestion, it may just tweak your mind into thinking about things differently which can help you get to the name you have been looking for.
Invest time on this as it is very important for your business.
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