How to Name Your Coaching Business

One of the most exciting aspects of launching a business is the creative side! Creating a logo, designing a website, and of course... naming your business.

I've seen a lot of people delay launching their business because they can't find the "perfect" name. In this article, I hope to offer some perspectives and brainstorms to get those creative juices flowing. Most importantly, make a decision! You don't have to be married to your brand forever.

1) Are you planning to stay a solo-preneur, or are you planning to bring people on eventually? Are you building a business with the intention to sell it someday, or will you run it forever?

The first thing people wonder is, "Should I use my name?"

If you are building a "personality brand," then this is an easy decision! If YOU are your brand, then use your name. For example, if you're planning to be very personal in your business, use a lot of photographs of yourself, write a newsletter in 1st person including stories about yourself and your experiences... then you're building a personality brand! You can use your name, as it will add to the know, like, and trust factor.

In other words, people know EXACTLY what they're getting: YOU!

For life and leadership coaching, I go by simply "JJ Carolan Coaching". Is it the catchiest title ever? No. But I want people to know me, refer me, and not have to take the extra step of remembering a different business name. Just pass my name along, please.

If you're planning to bring on additional coaches (for example, building a leadership coaching firm), you might consider using something that can be used by everyone.

2) Consider the OUTCOMES that your clients will get from you.

If you don't want to use your name, consider some of the outcomes that people will get from working with you. A new career? Promotions? Finding The One?

A common trend is to name your business after adjectives, e.g. Empowerment, Growth, and so forth. There's nothing wrong with using adjectives, but you can tighten it up even more. Thinking about what people will actually get out of working with you (or your company) will help people immediately think, "That's for ME! I want THAT!"

For example, I use The Coach's Playground brand for business coaching. It tells you immediately that we're going to take a playful approach to building business, and that it's for coaches.

3) Use your name in creative ways.

If you decide to use your name, you don't have to use all of it! I could have used "Carolan Coaching". If I had planned to expand my leadership brand, I could have used "Carolan Coaching Group". If you have a name that lends itself to alliteration, you could always use your first or last name plus a word that describes your coaching.

4) Get thee to a thesaurus.

Try to avoid really common coach-y, jargony words that don't translate. You might see people that have a huge following use words that are kind of vague, but they can get away with it - they've already built their following.

Use a thesaurus to find words that really stand out and make someone taste the change you can offer.

Words that Sell by Richard Bayan is another wonderful resource for playing with words.

The most important thing is to make a decision, get your business set up, and get going! You can always tweak and change it (yes, that's a pain in the neck but nothing is written in stone).

Tell me, what are some of the ways you approached naming your business?