Before you choose your final business name, it is important to understand what is at stake. Statistics provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics demonstrate that small businesses fail within their first year, which means around 20%, and almost 50% close within five years.
Other failures related to missed steps include the need to check business name availability first, along with poor branding and marketing. These factors account for 12 to 22% of business failures. Legal disputes, such as failure to trademark a business name in the event that business owners ignore the process, are also among the leading causes of companies being compelled to relaunch. Such scenarios cost thousands of dollars in redesigns, changes to a website, and loss of customer confidence.
It is more than words in your business name. It is something that identifies you. It is visible on your website, business cards, social media handles, and any customer contact point. Selecting it without checking the property in the naming space, trademark, and online platforms can risk your brand before it is even released.
Worth of a Business Name
One of the best assets your brand can possess is a strong name for the business. It makes first impressions, contributes to customer perception, and contributes to brand recognition. This is detailed in a Nielsen Global Survey on New Product Innovation, 59% of shoppers favour purchasing products of a brand they are familiar with, despite the availability of new alternatives. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research has shown that recalling brand names that are simple and easy to pronounce is more likely, and it gives a better perception to consumers.
The fact that your name is also on your website and packaging, in your invoices and advertising, means that it is not merely a label. It is a long-term brand of investment. A very specific and unique name would enhance memory, make it easier to be identified in the search results, and build a repeat customer base with time.
Why You Must Check Business Name Availability Before Moving Forward
At the beginning of a company, one of the steps you take is determining your niche. Perhaps you are starting a bakery business, starting a digital agency, or developing a SaaS. The most natural step after being clear about your business plan is to name it.
That name? It is more than a label. It is what people get at first. It is displayed on your website, business cards, invoices, and advertising. You are basing your brand identity upon it.
The thing is, you cannot just choose a name that you like. It would be important to ensure that you check business name availability before you commit. That is to say, ensuring:
- Another company in your state has not taken the name.
- The domain can be your website.
- The name is not a trademark and is not secured by law
A failure to do this may result in legal issues and brand confusion or even a re-start.
Next, let’s walk through how to check if a business name is available step by step.
Start with a Clear Business Idea and Niche
Prior to checking business name availability, it is always important to go a step further and consider what the business truly means. So what do you sell? Who are you selling to? So what makes your offer stand out in the same space as others? Imagine that you are starting an environmentally friendly skincare brand. Your niche can be organic skincare for sensitive skin. That fact is important. A brand name such as GlowPure would have more appeal to that niche than a generic brand name such as Beauty Solutions. With a well-defined niche, the naming process will be more deliberate and help exclude names that are not truly reflective of your brand. Knowing your niche, you are not simply choosing a name; you are creating a brand with a sense. That is the preliminary step to even performing a search business name availability.
Brainstorm and Shortlist Strong Business Name Ideas
Once you have decided on what your niche should be, your next move should be to consider what you can name your business. Effective business names must be simple to pronounce, recall and summarise what your brand is all about. Write down words related to your business to begin. These may comprise the product you are selling, your values, your audience or the impression you desire to create. As an example, when making the sale of ecologically friendly products, one may choose to refer to these products as being green, pure, or clean. It is also possible to mix words, rhyme, or mix languages to create an original product. Consider how you would like people to react when they hear your name. Is it going to be fun, modern or professional sounding?
There are proven techniques and strategies to help you come up with a brand name that works from word mapping to emotional naming frameworks. Before you accept everything as it should be, it is wise to consider some of the naming pitfalls and innovative ideas that may give your name that edge and advantage.
Can People Actually Find You Online?
Suppose you settle on a name that feels right. It suits your brand, it rolls off your tongue, and you can even see the logo already. Before you go on, though, there is one thing to verify. Is the domain available?
People will find you online using your domain name. It is what they type in Google, what you print on your packaging, and what is on your business card. That name might not be the appropriate name of your brand if someone already possesses it.
This is where a lot of new business owners will break down. And now they have lost the exact “.com”, which is gone. The thing is, even some of the cleverest brands had tiny changes and yet managed to create a powerful identity.
- Calm, the wellness app, uses calm.com, but other similar apps like Shine went with theshineapp.com
- Notion owns its name now, but in the early days, you’d find it at notion.so, not .com
- Glossier, the beauty brand, launched with glossier.com, but other rising brands in beauty use domains like shopfleur.com or wearewild.com
These are not alternative options. They stand for the ways that flexibility in your domain may continue to help a powerful brand.
In case your preferred option is not permitted, you can add a word that reads well with it and is simple, such as: shop, get, hello or the name of your industry. Brief it. Keep it to the point. You would like something which people can remember and type without difficulty.
Additionally, you no longer have to browse one idea after another on various websites. A business name availability checker and business name generator tools will provide more than suggestions. Others assist you in getting ideas of names and get to know immediately whether the corresponding site can be registered. They may not reveal state or trademark disputes, but they can prove helpful in developing a shortlist of names that fit your brand and can be registered more easily on the Internet.
Because your name only works if people can reach you.
Where to Legally Check Business Name Availability
A rapid Google search to find business name availability can show whether a particular name is already in use, yet you cannot assume it is enough to determine whether it is legally acceptable. It is best to utilize government databases and authorized registries. These sites display to you whether or not this name is registered, trademarked or unclaimed.
These are some trustworthy sources you can start your research:
- United States (trademarks) – US business name availability search: USPTO Trademark Search
- United States (state registrations): Each state has its own business registry. For example:
- California Secretary of State Business Search
- Delaware Division of Corporations
- Texas SOS Direct
- United Kingdom: Companies House Name Availability
- Australia: ASIC Business Names Register
- Canada: NUANS Name Search
- International trademarks: WIPO Global Brand Database
Going through these official sources will help you be positive that your business name is legally safe to use before you start spending time and money on building your brand around it.
Quick Steps USPTO Trademark Search
- Visit Site USPTO
- Sign in (optional) to optimise your searches.
- Select Basic or Expert search mode.
- Choose your search option, whether it is Wordmark, Owner, Serial Number, Registration Number or Description.
- Use your keywords, hit Search.
- In case of logos/designs, go to the Design Search Code Manual and type in the code.
- Fine-tune the results and refine your keywords or filters as necessary.
Check If the Name Is Trademarked
The name you want to use suits your brand, the domain is free, and it sounds perfect. However, before you take another step, there is one more thing to be sure about. Are you allowed to use it?
A brand name is legally secured by means of a trademark. When your name is registered, you might end up in deep waters by assuming that this name is originally yours. You may even have to rebrand in the future, or even end up in a lawsuit for trademark infringement. You don’t want something like that to have to handle after launching a site or printing wrappings.
Start by checking the name in trademark databases. If you’re in the United States, you can use the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System. For international searches, try the WIPO Global Brand Database, which lets you search trademarks registered across multiple countries. They are all free and provide you with a good impression of whether or not your name is protected in another place.
You can also do an online search on a wider scope. Search on Google, look at LinkedIn, search marketplaces such as Etsy or Amazon, and look through social media. This makes you realise other businesses with the same name are doing business, or at least contemplating a trademark.
It is not necessary only to escape legal issues here. It is to ensure that your brand is unique and easily defensible, as well as ready to expand.
In the event you do not know how to interpret results, you can perhaps consult a trademark attorney. It is a minor expense that might save you a lot of major troubles in the future.
Claim Your Name on Social Platforms
Check that your name is not registered on social media when you go to launch. This will enable your brand to be consistent everywhere people seek you.
Begin by searching such platforms as Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and X. When your name is free, get it. Otherwise, just add a word as Shop, official, or your niche so that it can be nearby.
Trust services such as Namecheckr or BrandSnag to search all of it instantly. It will take several minutes and will help you stop being confused later.
It is a simple thing that presents your brand as complete on the first day.
Before You Launch
Research your name in all possible places and only then commit. Ensure that the availability of a business name in your state has been checked before you proceed, online as a domain, not under trademark and free on big platforms.
This will make your brand safe, clear, and ready to develop early enough.
Key Takeaways
- Always check the name. It secures your brand without time, money or trust.
- The definite niche would result in more robust name ideas. Be aware of your customers and how you are distinct.
- It is a case of domain availability. As long as you are not available online, your name means nothing.
- A rebrand may be mandated by trademark problems. Before you launch, always search official databases.
- Your brand is filled with social media handles. Reserve these early, before use is needed.
- An available, clear, and consistent name puts your business on course to success.
