Steps to Take When Naming Your New Business or Brand

A student recently approached me about a new clothing line concept. She had her mind set on putting a certain slogan on shirts for kids. The message was very uplifting, and she contacted me for advice on next steps.

The first thing I asked is what marketing and sales channels does she have set up? She didn’t have any yet, so we researched the name to see what was available.

Much to her dismay, the exact same idea already existed in the marketplace, many times over. Several websites, Instagram accounts, and U.S. trademarks already had the same words registered, and were already doing business in the exact same space.

In this video, I go through the exact resources I use when naming a new business or brand.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.

Step 1: Is the website domain name available? https://instantdomainsearch.com/

Step 2: Are the social media usernames available?
https://checkuser.org/ (yes, this includes a domain name check also, but it is much slower than step 1)

Step 3: Is there an existing trademark in the same goods and services classification (G & S)? http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/

Step 4: If the name you want isn’t available, check for synonyms that might work: https://www.thesaurus.com/ Then repeat steps 1-3.