February 25, 2021 6 minutes checked out Viewpoints revealed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A buddy and ex-colleague of mine recently left her full-time job and began freelancing as a consultant. Like any freelancer looking for brand-new business chances, she prepared to develop a website showcasing her past work and detailing her capabilities. However initially, she needed to address a crucial concern: Should she develop a new to represent her company or merely use her own name? Since I run a brand name consulting firm with one full-time staff member (me), she requested for my suggestions. No matter what sort of freelance work you’re doing – from brand name expert to accountant – this is a concern you’ll have to address. Utilizing your individual name suggests providing yourself as an individual factor and keeping the concentrate on you. Creating a brand, on the other hand, will need a comprehensive naming procedure and will produce some “daytime” between you and business. Either path can work, and deciding which is best for you depends on a range of individual elements. I have actually described 5 factors below to take the very first method: creating a brand-new trademark name for your freelance business.A trademark name

suggests scale

In the past, numerous business handled their creator’s . Think Lipton, Ford, or . But these business’ modern-day equivalents are more likely to establish distinct trademark name like , Tesla, or (For the record, Starbuck is a fictional character from Moby Penis, Nikola Tesla died 60 years prior to the founding of , and it’s unlikely Robin Hood was a real individual, much less had any involvement with the financial services app.). Since of this shift, an unique brand name, instead of a founder’s name (i.e., yours) can develop an impression of a larger organization, which suggests more breadth and depth.If you’re

believing, “But I don’t desire anyone to think I’m more than someone,” do not underestimate the disadvantage solo freelancers can deal with in competitive scenarios. Remember that individuals who’ll never satisfy you – whether they’re decision-makers or procurement workers – may be making judgments based upon your name alone. For example, envision needing to select among the following brand consultancies: Catchword, Lexicon, or Sally Flakowitz. The individual name develops an uncomfortable, apples-to-oranges scenario you’re probably better off avoiding.Related: Why Brand

Call is essential for Start-Ups? A brand name gives you space to grow Mentioning scale, another benefit of a brand name is its prospective to stretch as your company modifications. You may not intend on building a 15-person team -but strategies often change.

Should your company become more than a one-person operation, a trademark name offers space to grow.This logic applies even on a project-to-project basis. When you handle a large task, you may need to subcontract work or employ other freelancers as teammates. When showing up at a customer’s office with a colleague, introducing yourselves as independent freelancers who take place to be working together at the minute does not motivate confidence. It develops a short-term, noncommital feeling. It’s a lot easier- and sounds more professional -to say,”Hi, I’m Rob, and this is Sally. We ‘re from [BrandName] “A brand name provides an opportunity to reveal ideas What sensations and ideas does your name evoke to those who hear it? Ideally, amongst your family and friends, a minimum of, a host of favorable adjectives are connected with your name- maybe clever, innovative, and hardworking. However for those who’ve never met you? Never ever become aware of you? It’s just a name. Unless you go by”Sting”or “The Rock,”your name doesn’t truly communicate any meaning. It does not tell prospective clients that you’re innovative or clever. It’s not even a name you chose.But producing a brand enables you to say something. Some brand names are straightforward and detailed (e.g., Finest Buy), while some simply recommend a concept (e.g., Zipcar). Others endeavor into the abstract-theydon’t carry any relevant meaning but can nevertheless communicate a sense of personality, like Apple (easy) or Virgin(irreverent).

No matter what technique your trademark name has, you can utilize it to inform people something about yourself and the work you do.Related: The Do’s and Do not’s of Calling Your Company (Infographic)A brand name might be simpler to pronounce and spell Some very first and last names are much easier to pronounce than others, however chances are the brand name you create will be much shorter than your individual name (one word instead of two, for example ). And because you’re constructing the name from scratch, you’ll have a chance to ensure its ease of use. While there are exceptions, most of the best brand are short and sweet. Names developed from several real English words are most likely to be understood, pronounceable, and correctly

spelled than many people’s names.If you have any interest in operating overseas, you might find your personal name has additional disadvantages. Names that are prevalent in one language or culture may appear unpronounceable or unusual in other parts of the world. Your name may lead individuals to assume-accurately or not-that you’re from a particular nation or area and, whether it’s reasonable, that presumption might feature bias. English, nevertheless, has become the lingua franca of worldwide company. A real English word or 2 is likely to be understood and pronounceable by lots of service people for whom English is not a native tongue.A brand may be more unique The other side of the point above is that, sometimes, individual names are so typical that they stop working to stand apart. If your name is” Niamh Moloughney,” good luck getting individuals to

spell and pronounce it correctly. However if you’re one of the over 11,000 Ann Millers on LinkedIn, your potential consumers might have problem remembering you or informing you apart from other freelancers.Reviewing rival names is a vital action in any brand naming procedure. In creating your brand name, you can select to utilize a various naming design, choose one that’s significantly shorter or longer than competitors, or find an initial letter that’s special to the category.Ultimately, this choice depends greatly on your provided name and surname. How typical are they? Are they hard to pronounce or spell? Will they associate you with a particular language, country, or region- for better or even worse? Some individuals

‘s names practically ask to be utilized as brand, like Smart & Final (named after creators J.S. Smart and H.D. Final)or Fox Racing (called after creator Geoff Fox). They’re brief, simple, easy to remember, and have integrated meaning or imagery. Unless you’re lucky adequate to have such an unique, expressive name, think about producing a trademark name for your freelance business.Related: 10 Secrets to Master Your Personal Brand Name Article curated by RJ Shara from Source. RJ Shara is a Bay Area Radio Host (Radio Jockey) who talks about the startup ecosystem – entrepreneurs, investments, policies and more on her show The Silicon Dreams. The show streams on Radio Zindagi 1170AM on Mondays from 3.30 PM to 4 PM.