Distinctive

• A business name should be distinctive. If you want to trademark your business name, legally it must be unique enough to warrant one. In addition, it should be memorable and convey the purpose of the business. If you create a new word for your business--such as "Xerox" or "Google"--you need to do more extensive marketing in order to educate the market on the meaning of your brand. On the other hand, a name like "Fit-For-Life" or "Curves for Women" tells your potential customer exactly what you do in a unique trademark-able way that requires much less marketing.
  
  

Simple and Flexible

• A business name should not limit your growth. "Bill Smith's Iguana Shop of 1st Street" limits your growth on several levels. What if you wanted to open a branch in another location? What if you wanted to sell something besides iguanas? What if you wanted to sell the whole business? Often business owners want their name up in lights but from a business perspective it is not a good business decision, neither is a location based name or one that limits what you can sell. Your company name should be simple, easily spelled and easily pronounced. If your customers can't spell it or pronounce it, they will have difficulty remembering it.
  
  

Available

• You need to verify that the name you want is legally available. If you are forming a corporation or LLC, you need to verify availability with your State Corporation Commission or registering agency. If you are forming a small local business, you need to check with your county or city clerk's office on filing a "doing business as" or "assumed name" certificate and verify that the name is not currently on file for another business.
  
  

Internet Considerations

• Since the Internet is such a big part of business these days, consider what domain name would be appropriate and check on availability. You may also want to do a search on the name that interests you to see what else may be out there using the name you are interested in.
  
  

Feedback

• Once you've done your brainstorming, see what other people think. Run your top several choices by friends and business associates, and solicit their opinion. Have them rank them in order of preference and then give you feedback on the "feeling" each one gives them. Logically a name might be a winner, but the image it projects or the feeling it provokes also constitute key factors in your choice.