What should I name my craft business? 5 Tips

 

Coming up with a name for your craft business is one of the most challenging steps of starting a business. You want it to give the right impression and stand the test of time. 

 

You’ll find a long list of word ideas and steps to develop good name options for your craft business here. 

 

But there are a few steps to consider before you decide what you should name your craft business.

 

#1 – Sleep on it

When I’m coming up with a business name, I explore them all; the good, the bad, and the ugly. After hours and hours of mixing and matching different words, some combinations start to sound good, even though they’re not. Perhaps it’s out of desperation. 

 

When you’ve narrowed your list, be sure to sleep on it and look at the potential name with fresh eyes before you spend money purchasing its domain or registering it. 

 

 

#2 – Write it down

Write and type your potential business name before committing to it. Make sure it’s easy to write and spell and that it doesn’t create any off or offensive words when you remove the spaces. 

 

Your domain will display your business name all as one word. So will your social media handles. 

 

Some business names are an epic fail as domain names. Just type “Speed of art” without any spaces, and you’ll see what I mean. 

 

When deciding on what you should name your craft business, consider your name’s length when typed. 

 

You may need to print your business name, website URL, and/or social media handles on business cards, flyers, product tags, etc. A name that’s too long will be hard to fit on smaller print material and hard to read.

 

 

#3 – Say it out loud

You’ll be saying your business name a lot. 

 

>> When friends, family, and strangers ask what you do. 

>> When marketing your business in-person. 

>> And if you do a good job marketing your craft business, or creating a buzz-worthy product, you may even be interviewed by the press. 

 

You want to be sure you feel comfortable saying your craft business name out loud. It should roll off the tongue, and it definitely shouldn’t be a tongue twister. 

 

It should also be short enough that people will remember it when they hear it. 

 

Say it out loud to see if it’s catchy, easy to say, and only a limited number of syllables (there aren’t any rules, but 2 – 5 syllables is usually a safe zone).

 

 

#4 – Share it with friends & family

Although you need to take friend and family opinions with a grain of salt when starting a craft business, it is worth getting a fresh set of…ears on your potential name. 

 

>> Do you feel confident saying the name, or does it feel a little silly?

>> Do friends and family get it right away, or does everyone need you to repeat it? 

>> Do they understand the vibe or purpose of your business by the name alone? 

 

You don’t need too many cooks in the kitchen when coming up with a name, but it’s still a good idea to get an outsider’s opinion. They may notice something you don’t. 

 

 

#5 – Make sure it’s available

The final step before deciding what you should name your craft business is to run a quick search on your own to make sure it’s available. 

 

It can’t be taken by another business or infringing on intellectual property.

 

>> You’ll find a list of laws to follow here: Laws for Selling Handmade

 

Check if the domain is available too. Sometimes another business isn’t using the name, but the domain may have been purchased (either to use in the future or so they can resell it for a profit). 

 

Those are the two most important areas to check, but you also want to see if your name is available on social media platforms and any selling platforms you plan to use, such as Etsy. 

 

It’s ideal for your social media account names and Etsy shop name to be an exact match to your business name. However, you can get around it if your name is taken. 

 

You may add “shop” to your name for your Etsy shop.

 

For social media, you could try:

• Abbreviating a portion of your name (e.g. Jane’s Gems may become @jgems)
• Adding “the”, “this is”, etc. (e.g. @thisisjanesgems)
• Adding your title or product (e.g. maker, creator, art, jewelry, etc. @JanesGemsJewelry)

 

If you find your name is available on social media accounts, it’s a good idea to jump on registering them right away. You can always change the name later if you decide not to use it, but you’ll be out of luck if someone else scoops it up first.