Posted by When choosing a business name , it is important to check that it is available before using it. This can be done by searching databases to find previous business names grouped under various categories as well as the trademarks used by them. To check if the company name is already taken, there are several solutions based on the following triple check:
1. Consult national databases to verify a business name
2.Research the Internet
3. Some tips on business names.
Consult national databases to verify a business name
To find out if your choice name can be used as a company or a brand , consult this database of the INPI* which is the National Institute for Industrial Protection. The latter integrates data relating to the National Register of Commerce and Companies as well as the SIRENE database (National system of identification and directory of companies and their establishments) of INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) . It will allow you to access useful verification information.
Research on the Internet
Do research on the internet
Beyond researching trademarks and trade names in the manner discussed above, you’ll also need to do a few checks, such as whether the business name you’ve chosen has an available domain name . It would, in fact, be particularly unfortunate to take a commercial name whose domain name is not available. To perform this type of verification, simply go to registrar sites such as Gandi, OVH, IONOS or Amen.
Some advice on business names
Wherever possible, and due to future visibility implications, avoid puns. The latter are in the vast majority of cases false good ideas. Simple question: Do you know many strong brands based on a name made up of a play on words? Moreover, it is very complicated to then gain position with such domain names in search engines.
Is there consistency between what you are going to offer (activity and services) and between the name of the company taken ? Try to create one without positioning yourself on something that could mislead the consumer (for example with a company name sounding similar to that of a competitor). Well, it is clear that if you are a hairdresser and decide to call yourself “style coiffure” in a city, the only thing to check is that there is not another one in the same sector; Competition at hundreds of kilometers is no longer true. Of course, if you want to do franchise one day, this type of name is a bad idea.
Check what your business name might say elsewhere in the world. There are many examples of brands having had difficulty exporting because of the meaning of their name.
Finally, for a brand, run a search on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. is simply advised to know if it will be easy or not to promote it. As a result, there are keyword analysis tools, but the sheer volume of results visible on Google already gives an indication of the feasibility of your project.
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