SVA Forum

*Laura* · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 15

Hello
Right i have ordered a good book through here and done lots of research and seeing as I have one potential client I figure I really just need to make a decision re my business name so I can register it etc.
I have a few ideas and my husband keeps throwing suggestions at me but I am consious that the name I give my business is appopriate and in line with what other VAs do? for example, is it better to use the words in your name that relate to what you do? will this help with advertising and searching purposes? for example words like virtual or virtual assistant / virtual secretary? I mean if I was to call my business something quite general like Anything admin or Laura's letters (not that i would!!!!!!!) then would i be shooting myself in the foot for not incorporating the words of what i actually do and what I am selling myself as??
Sorry for all these questions but i really want to think of a name and realise its going to take some thought but want to be on the right track to start
Many thanks

Sally@Stonetext · Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 11:48 pm Post subject:

Keep it short and pithy. Memorable is quite good. Slight pun on words (but not too daft). Avoid long and complicated names - remember you will need to use it for your web site. Just make sure there's no-one else out there with the same great idea as you!! You may well change direction over time so don't think that your business name is cast in stone.
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Sally
Stonetext Online Admin Services www.stonetext.co.uk
Spida Web & Graphic Design www.spidawebdesign.co.uk

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caroline · Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 5:36 pm Post subject:

Hi Laura,

Something memorable is good - I'd also avoid long and tedious ones - there are loads with a sort of combination of words like: virtual, business, executive, solutions etc. which tend to get shortened to acronyms which are hard to remember.

Possibly a good way to start is think about the particular service you are going to offer and include keywords relating to that (Google has an okay keyword tool which you could use). E.g. if you are going to offer typing you might look for keywords related to that (audio, transcription, dictation, letter, report) and include them in your title.

Personally I came up with mine after a long evening on the floor with little bits of paper trying different combinations.... Lots of this too

with my best mate, so I'm not sure whether it helped or not!!!
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Above Parr · Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:28 am Post subject:

Hi

Mine came about because of my surname, though I resisted it for ages because I though it was a bit cheesy!
It was only when my printer friend (a very trendy chap who seems to know about these things) said he realliy liked it that I decided to go with it...

One thing that's worth checking out once you've got a few ideas is what website names are available and how they look/sound - it'll help to narrow down your options.

Good luck
_________________
Sara Parr
Above Parr PA Services - Virtually Everything Done For You
www.aboveparr.co.uk

jackie · Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:26 pm Post subject:

And once you've got it, sleep on it. Try answering the phone (pretend) using the name - does it run off the tongue?

Can clients shorten it? Mine was shortened by some to the initials which works well but the name says what I do and they appreciated that too.

Burford Secretarial · Moderator Joined: 08 Nov 2006 Posts: 540 Location: Kent

It took me ages to come up with a name - me and my husband run a lot of ideas around I wanted something that said what I did but was not sure what - we then did some searches of what domain names were available and came up with Burford (my surname) Secretarial - my clients seem to like it and they can find me easily so it works.
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Charlotte Burford

Burford Secretarial
www.burfordsecretarial.com

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OfficeStuff · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 12:56 pm Post subject:

I chose my business name because it was what I replied when anyone asked me what I did! "oh, office stuff" was generally my answer, and so it stuck when I decided to set up on my own. Office Stuff encompassed the many things that I do without restricting me to one category such as secretarial services, or book-keeping.

I also had to bear in mind where I was living and where I expected to get the bulk of my customers from. Although virtual assistance is on the up, I deliberately avoided any mention of being a "virtual assistant" because my local market hasn't got past the quiet, polite secretary in a back office pounding away at a manual typewriter! And believe me, that's how I started office life, more years ago than I really care to remember!

Office Stuff has gone through a couple metamorphoses, and is now on its hopefully long-term third. When I started out I had a sort of "office equipment-y" transparent vector graphic, comprising cabinet, calculator, phone, etc., and found that I had to continually explain that I did not sell photocopiers!
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Carole Meyrick
Office Stuff
Perfectly Practical Office Support

sara - Office Bird · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject:

[quote="OfficeStuff"]I chose my business name because it was what I replied when anyone asked me what I did! "oh, office stuff" was generally my answer, and so it stuck when I decided to set up on my own. Office Stuff encompassed the many things that I do without restricting me to one category such as secretarial services, or book-keeping. [/quote]

SNAP!!

If anyone ever asked my Dad what I did (even when I was a very trumped up business consultant who thought she was incredibly important!) he would say - "She's and Office Bird!"

I used to hate it but a Bird in the Office is what my customers want and what they get so it's served me well. Some women have told me they think it's a be derogatory but most people love it.

I think Carolines suggestion of wine and friends is a winner.

Good luck.
_________________
Sara
Office Bird
Your Perfect Business Partner

www.officebird.co.uk

*Laura* · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 15

Thank you so much everyone, this is all so helpful. I am determined to decide on a name by the weekend!

By the way, Office Bird is a brilliant name and I would never associate it in the derogatory sense.

All of the names on here sound really catchy. I just hope there is availability when I finally find that great name!

Thanks again.

*Laura* · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 15

Sorry folks, me again. I have now thought of a business name and am very excited as it would appear from all of the relevant checks that the name is available (when I didnt think it would be). I rang the tax office and they said they didnt need to hear from me until I had started trading, which is fine. However they advised me that as a sole trader I cannot register my business. I asked how I protect the business name etc and they said that you can only do this as a Ltd Company, which obviously I am not going to be trading under. They also advised me that, even though I have done a name search on all of the on-line registers you can, sole traders wouldn't necessarily show up anyway. They said that the only way to cover yourself is by checking local business directories (which I had also done). Now I am concerned about sending out letters etc with my business name on when Im not 100% that someone else isnt trading under it. My business name is available on all of the domain addresses so this also makes me think that it isnt being used, as no-one has set up a website. Where do I stand on this and do you think it is ok to go ahead and start advertising/trading?
Thank you

caroline · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:10 pm Post subject:

Not necessarily - I found another company trading using Virtually Sorted about 6 months after I set up. They'd registered virtually-sorted.com and of course that hadn't shown up on any of my searches as they hadn't put the website up when I did my searches. Technically they had thought of the name before me, but by that point I'd already been trading 6 months, had designed logos, built a website, printed all my stationery and had quite a lot of PR.

The only 100% guaranteed way of checking that there is not someone else trading under your name is to register it as a trademark which will cost upwards of £350+. We've got now Virtually Sorted as a registered trademark in Business Services Class.
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dawnjlane · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:24 pm Post subject:

Hi Laura

Visit the Business Register - http://www.anewbusiness.co.uk/home.htm - to carry out a search. You can register you business name here from around £80 per year + VAT.

You can also Trade Mark, as Caroline mentioned, and this can also be done here. The cost of Trade Marking is £150 + VAT and lasts for 10 years.

I have registered my business name here and am also trade marking it.

Dawn
_________________
Dawn Lane VAcertified MAMS MInstAM
Your Office Online - www.your-office-online.co.uk
Virtual Business in a Box Ltd - www.virtualbusinessinabox.co.uk
dawn@your-office-online.co.uk
dawn@virtualbusinessinabox.co.uk

jackie · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:27 pm Post subject:

Caroline's route is one option.

As you're just starting out, however, you may be unwilling or unable to commit that kind of expense.

When I started out, I then discovered there was another Essential Business Services in existence (we are talking pre-email and internet here, remember) - they seemed to offer pretty much the same as me, but they were based in London.

By then I was up and running with a logo designed and starting to establish myself. I wasn't bothered and nobody ever contacted me thinking I was the other lot. I can't say about them, of course!

So my 2p is that if you can't find anyone with a similar name in local/regional directories or on the internet, I would go ahead and jump in with both feet. It does seem a fair bet that if the web name's not gone (have you checked ALL the endings?!) then nobody's thought of the name.

Here's an example of something like it: Years ago, I was talking to a well known actor I was working with. He had always wanted to buy/start up a restaurant here in Edinburgh. I came up with this great name which was a play on food and a French phrase which sums up what a restaurant is about. Amazingly enough, as far as I am aware, nobody has ever named a restaurant with that name. I still think it's good though!

Maybe nobody's on the same wavelength, though, and that could be it in your case.

OfficeStuff · Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject:

Awww. Sweet. What a lovely name for a cat - I assume it was called Merriweather...
_________________
Carole Meyrick
Office Stuff
Perfectly Practical Office Support

*Laura* · Joined: 06 Jan 2009 Posts: 15

thanks for all your help. Think I will definitely be registering the business for around £80 per year. Ive searched on 123 reg and all of the domain names are available. Co.uk is available which I think I will go for. Then I saw that dot com is also available to be brought off the existing owner. Not sure whether to stick to .co.uk or buy the .com or whether that is a bit dodgy...?! there is already a website up under this name, not that it looks like there is much going on on there! have any of you brought other domain names just to cover yourself? theyre not very expensive on the 123 reg site.