Acronyms for business names...

[SYLO_JOHNSON]

Would using an acronym for a business name be a good or bad idea?

[jamesaroy]

I guess my first question is this: Is the business name that you are thinking about that long that you feel you need to shorten it?

One thing I've learned is that when you're dealing with naming businesses or website names, you want them to be short and concise. The reason for that is so people can easily remember them.

For Example: One of my business names is Elite Spectrum Solutions, LLC - this is a long name and I wish I would of thought a little harder on that before I pulled the trigger on it.

Now when we mention the business name on our blog, it usually gets referred to as the shortened version: ESS

In my personal opinion derived from past experiences, I'd try to come up with a short powerful name that will be easy to remember. And the shorter it is, the easier the website name will be remembered as well.

I hope this helps.

[SYLO_JOHNSON]

Thanks for the reply James. Very useful tip, I agree that if the name is easier to remember, for myself I tend to visit those sites more often. Since we're on the topic of business/website names. Whats the best way to go about checking the availability of a name? Is there a site that you would recommend for me to check out?

[soccerprodigy777]

depends on where youre registering your business...there should be a registry that details what names are taken locally...

[jamesaroy]

SYLO_JOHNSON,

soccerprodigy777 is correct - depending on where you're registering your business, you'll need to check with their state website.

For example: I'm in Florida, so the state website is sunbiz.org and on their site you can search all of the business names that are already registered with the state. I would just google it for whatever state you'll be registering in to find their specific business site (assuming you're registering in one of the states).

If you are talking about a website name, which ever hosting service you use should have the domain name search tool right there for you to use to see if your domain name is taken.

I've used both JustHost.com and HostGator.com and they both had the tool for me to utilize.

Good Luck!

[jamesaroy]

Oh, and don't forget to also go to irs.gov and register your new business with the feds so you can get your EIN (employee identification number) - it's like your businesses social security number.

[SYLO_JOHNSON]

Thanks for the info from you both. I'll definitely check out the California website since that's where I plan to register the business. I'm assuming theres fees for this registration (probably varying from state to state)?

[jamesaroy]

Yes, the fee for Florida was $125 and there is a yearly administrative fee also. There is no fee to get your EIN from the federal government. You'll also want to figure out what type of corporation you'd like to set up: LLC, Incorporated, etc. They all have different benefits and structures, so you'll want to do your research and figure out what suits your situation the best.

Thank you again for serving our great country.

[The ENTREPRENEUR]

Bad, unless the consumer becomes so familiar that they know exactly what they are dealing with.

[SYLO_JOHNSON]

Thanks for the info again to all. James, you've been helpful with your tips and advice and it's my pleasure to do what I do for you all. 125 isn't bad, small price to pay for being your own boss. Is the yearly fee around the same price? I've been doing a bit of research here and there on my off time, trying to get ahead. Seems like theres not enough hours in the day haha. I googled the website for California tyring to see available names, that's the step I'm on in the process. What are the differences in the benefits for Inc, LLC?