http://www.youtube.com/adwords10?hl=en-us&forcelang=false&x=ff9bcf0412be46ac941f3327549b625e

“There are no failures, only experiments”

I love idea of substituting the word “failure” for “experiments”. There is something very freeing about experimenting. It takes me back to the fun filled days of fizzling baking soda and vinegar volcanoes of my childhood. Spreading out all my materials one by one on the kitchen counter. Building the structure of my mountain and measuring each of ingredients to make the perfect explosive eruption. Now as an adult, as an entrepreneur sitting in my virtual office (Starbucks), I wonder if I can still remember how to recreate the fun of experimenting.

As in any scientific experiment there are necessary ingredients to every experiment and a successful business starts exactly the same way. Every successful entrepreneur has the creative ability to think outside the box, creating ideas while combining the 3 most important ingredients: Planning, Perseverance and Passion to every formula. Applying the right idea at the right time and to identify the relevant factors is one of our greatest challenges. Through our experiments, we can determine theories or ways to make the results repeatable and reliable.  This is what we all strive for in business–repeatable and reliable results to help us grow our business and sales.

More than an entrepreneur striving to succeed, I see myself as a scientist in full length white lab coat, calculating not only the ingredients but conducting which experiments to test next. “To look at the results of [my] efforts as a scientist would, with a focus on learning in order to improve results.” As a balloon rocket from my childhood experiments, thrusts itself into the air, I continue to propel myself and continue my experiments as a scientist in my virtual office.

Brands have come a long way since they began as a way to tell one person’s cattle from another. Before we discuss the steps of how to find your perfect brand name, we first need to understand what a brand is and what are the characteristics of a good brand.

What is a brand?

A brand is the personality that identifies a product or service.

What characteristics does a good brand name have?

• Memorable and easy to pronounce. No more than 2 or 3 syllables.
• The name should relate to your business. Avoid using initials or abbreviations. You want your name to communicate to your customers. A good brand hints at it without directly saying it.
• Brand name should be unique. Many brand names are made of combining two words to make a new word.
• Brand name should appeal to your target customer

6 Steps to finding the perfect brand name:

Finding the perfect name can feel like a huge and daunting task, but if you break down it down into steps in a process it will feel much easier to accomplish.

1) Brainstorm & Lists

When I begin to come up with possible company or brand names, I start by brainstorming. For example if my company was a travel company in San Francisco. I would start by writing down all the words that relate to travel and then all the words that relate to San Francisco. Then I would write a third list of all the words I would like associated with the name and what the company should be known for.

2) Thesaurus & Google Image

Once I have a list of words, I add to that list by looking online in http://www.thesaurus.com/ for others similar words. This will double your list and increase your chance of finding more interesting words you may not have thought of. In addition. I will type in some of these words into Google and look under images. I use this to generate more ideas about the name concept. Sometimes an image, will give you an idea or a word you hadn’t thought of.

3) Mix & Match

Once you have these lists you can start putting words together. It’s a bit daunting at first, but keep trying to put words together. Be sure to keep the name short and simple. This step will take a bit of time, as you go back and forth between this step and steps 1 and 2.

4) Web domain name

Once I have narrowed the list down to some of my favorites, I usually like to see what my website possibilities will be with the name. This also helps me see what names are already being used. I usually go to http://www.godaddy.com to check the availability of the domain name. This will narrow down your list significantly.

5) Favorites list & getting feedback

With my short list of my favorite names, I ask for feedback from friends and colleagues to see which names resonate. You can also post it on a forum, like LinkedIn or Facebook or maybe a forum specific to your line of business. Depending on the project, I may prefer to keep it a bit of a secret and keep it among trusted friends and colleagues.

6) Legality

Lastly once you have your name or names, you will need to be sure it is legally available. Check with your local county to be sure your business name isn’t the same as that of an existing corporation, LLC, or limited partnership in your state.

Finding a good brand name takes time and hours of hard work, but having a process to follow will make it easier. Often I find I have to revisit previous steps in the process. However with continued effort you will find the right name and when you do you will not only have a brand that attracts your customers, but a brand name you will be proud of. To read more about branding and logos, go to http://www.logohaven.com/