Sandra J. Paluzzi
The Bead Peddler®

Everyone agonizes over what to name a business or new product line. 

There are guidelines, but it seems like there are successful exceptions to every rule.  One of the rules is not to use your initials or name unless you're already famous.  The Foreman grill is a good name, Paluzzi's Bead Palace is not.  On the other hand, most mail order buyers have heard of Lillian Vernon, who gained name recognition through her catalog.  Friends of mine have named their business JKO beaded designs.  Every time they mention their business name they mention that the initials stand for their two names - Jean and Kathy's Original Beaded Designs.  One very key issue in naming a business is that it must be easy to spell.  Again, my last name of Paluzzi would not work nearly as well as the last name of Smith.

A good name describes the business.  The Bead Peddler was chosen because it (1) described what I was doing (2) was an available website name and (3) was reputed to be search engine friendly (search engines are supposed to give weight to sites with the word it in - BEAD peddler should come up fine for bead).   When describing the business, be specific enough to give people a feel of what you're doing without being so specific that you block future growth.  I know of a business originally named For Your Ears Only.  It was meant to be a website that sold earrings.  Well, the owner decided to include necklaces, bracelets and even an anklet or two.  So much for the name. 

Some people will intentionally misspell words to come up with a descriptive name.  Beaddazzled is a common name for a bead business.  Others will play with  quotes - e.g. To Bead or not to bead. These names tend to be easy to remember.

Names can also be chosen because they  invoke a feeling.  Cars are famous for this.  You'll probably never see a car named Dachshund but  a whole fleet of buses was named for the Greyhound racing dog. In the same vein, a woman named Linda who sold high end classic jewelry calls her business Lady Jayne's Jewelry Box.  

Most companies have a tag line to go along with the name.  This tag line, often called a slogan, is a short saying that describes the company.  It is frequently used in advertisements  and is put on company literature.   Short, sweet and to the point is the golden rule for a memorable tag line.  For example, we all know that GE brings good things to life.  On a smaller scale,  Spiritually Yours sells rosaries, including a kit a child can make.  It's tag line is 'Keeping a bead on your spiritual needs.'  The Bead Peddler's tag line is 'Quality Beads at Affordable Prices'.    As you can see, the tag line gives you a more definite feel of the business.

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