How to choose a selling name for your business

Felicite Ndayambaje, the owner of Tuzajyamwijuru Restaurant in Musanze town, Northern Province, wonders why he doesn’t get customers for his ’good services’ the area is a tourist hub notwithstanding.“Most of the tourists are foreigners and speak mainly English or French, so they can’t relate or read the name. Besides, it is difficult to pronounce because it is too long. Therefore, the tourists find it difficult to direct their colleagues to the restaurant,” observes Austin Rwigamba, a resident of the area. This is just a sample of the many enterprises in Rwanda with names which cripple their performance in one way or another. However, all is not lost; the following tips can help aspiring or established entrepreneurs come up with selling business names. A good business name should be memorable, but easy to spell. Your potential customers need to be able to remember the name. They also need to be able to locate it easily in a phone book, directory or online. So choosing a business name such as Tuzajyamwijuru may not be a good idea. Unique is good, but difficult spellings are a bad idea.A selling business name must have a visual element. What pops into your head when you read Tuzajyamwijuru? Anything? Most people don’t visualise anything when they read such a business name. Generally, we are hard-wired to “see” images when we read or hear language. So, incorporating a visual element in your business name can be a powerful aid to customers’ memory and a great advertising tool, too.Include information about what your business does in the name. You need to be sure that your new business name at least gives your potential clients some clues about what you actually do. For example, a company dealing in tiles can come up with a name like “Lifestile” to give people an insight on what their merchandise is about.A business name should be short. This is vital because you want customers to remember your business and be able to tell other people about it. “It is important for promotional purposes. For example, everyone wants a name that will fit well on a business card, look good when it is displayed on a sign or in an advert,” notes Eldrick Musoni, a sales and marketing consultant in Kicuciro, Kigali.He adds that paying attention to colours is important in selecting a business name. “Colours have strong emotional associations. Red, for instance, is an aggressive colour.Its fiery elements are associated with speed, excitement and passion, while green is a calming colour associated with growth, renewal and nature,” Musoni explains.