Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

You've come to the right place. But before we can really be helpful, we need some information.

First, who is your primary target audience: Commercial? Residential? Flat roofs? Who makes the decision to hire a roofing company? How do they make that decision? What's important to them?

If you don't know, then it would probably be very useful (for you) to find out. Otherwise you will be tempted to try to be a solution for everyone, and thus not particularly relevant to anyone. Not a good strategy.

Next, why should someone hire you instead of one of the other roofers in your city/town/region? What unique and important benefit should your customers expect when they hire you? You'll need more than your gender identification. I doubt that anyone makes a decision like this based on gender. Besides, gender isn't a benefit; it's a feature (at best).

Then, where do your customers live/do business? It may make sense to incorporate your location into the name -- as in "Indianapolis Roofing Company" or "East Side Roofing" etc.

Finally, how will you decide on a name if we come up with a dozen alternatives? What criteria will you use to pick a winner? If we know that, there's a much better chance we'll be able to deliver for you the first time. Otherwise, we could be chasing a ghost for years.

There are two types of naming your business. You can either use neologisms or commonly used names. Neologisms don't mean anything and they are specifically coined for companies. They are very distinct and cannot be easily copied, but their drawback is that your customers may not have any idea about the nature of your business when it is first introduced. It may also take more effort to establish your enterprise. Commonly used words, on the other hand, already connote some meaning. The advantage of this type of name is that it suggests the kind of service or product offered by the company, although it may be easy to imitate.

It is advisable to come up with five to ten possible business names. And once you've drawn up your list, trim it further by asking the following questions.

1. Is the name distinctive?
2. Does the name have a pleasant meaning?
3. Will it past legal muster?
4. Can your name be remembered easily?
5. Can the name be pronounced easily?
6. Is the name too limiting for expansion?
7. Is the name appropriate to your line of business?
8. Does the name elicit pride and enthusiasm?

I hope these tips help you in deciding on a name for your business.