When you decide to become a freelance graphic designer, you need to answer the question: What will my business name be?

 

We can help you to navigate this important first step, plus provide the knowledge and experience that will give you the courage to make an excellent choice. We have been where you are, just starting out, and we know what to do — over many years, we tried it all and discovered what works!

 

Let’s start with some industry wisdom…

 

Your business name matters. Don’t be tempted to decide too quickly. You will have your business name for a long time, so let’s take this one slowly and think about it logically.

 

As great writers know, the first words written aren’t the final version. They might be close and they might have the creative elements for the right fit…but it’s wise to give dedicated thought to the editing and pondering process during your business name brainstorming.

 

 

How to Test Your Freelance Business Name Ideas

How do you test your business name ideas? Well, first, have you got some ideas!?

 

You’ll want to think far ahead and pick a type of name that aligns with your vision for your freelance graphic design business.

 

If you want to stay small, you might want to use your own name as the business’ name. As your creative and industry reputation grows (and as your brand and your client base expand), your name and its credibility will move along with it.

 

But maybe you see yourself running a graphic design studio in five years? Maybe you’ll have staff working for you and sub-contracted creatives! If this is your vision for your business, you’ll likely want to think of a memorable name for your business without pinning it to your name.

 

Based on these initial, vision-casting prompts, do you have a list of possible names? Have you thought of the two key alternatives when picking a name? Will it be descriptive or inventive? Will you use your business name to describe your services, or will your name stand out as something unique and original?

Can we pause? It’s important, at this point, to point out that you’re going to need a few days, some research time online, and the input of others before you settle on the one.

 

Make a list. Give it to a test group – maybe friends or family. Which names do they like, what do they names make them think of, which one do they remember three days later? And, importantly, what name is going to move potential clients to choose your graphic design business?!

 

Our Freelance Starter Kit course includes a substantial section that covers the nitty-gritty of naming your business. This article draws from some of our online course content.

 

At Aventive Academy, we know that a great name can position you in the design industry, build awareness for your brand, and create a positive memory for current and future clients.

 

When you’re starting out, your own creative talent and your business name are your two calling cards. Your business name can differentiate you in a way that makes a great first impression and an instant connection with your client base. So, what name should you choose?

 

Let’s look a little closer at the details. And, first, let’s answer a big fear-based question: what if I make a mistake and choose the wrong name?

 

What Happens If I Make a Mistake Naming my Business?

Did you know that great companies have rebranded themselves? Companies you have heard of! But you likely have no idea what their first business name was.

 

Pepsi was originally named “Brad’s Drink.” Google was first named “Backrub” (yes, really…Larry Page and Sergey Brin chose it themselves!). And, Instagram was named for Kevin Systrom’s favorite whiskey, “Burbn.”

 

Naming your company is the beginning of a branding exercise. It’s both permanent (you hope, on first try!) and impermanent. We mean this — knowing you can rebrand later will take the fear out of the process of determining your business’ name.

Use a bit of time, some logic, and the opinions of some trusted souls around you…and make your choice. Yes, it’s important, but it can be changed. (After all, the clothing retailer Zara changed its name from “Zorba” so its original signage wouldn’t be confused with a bar two blocks away from their grand opening!)

 

Let’s go back to the starting point:

• Are you going to use your own name?
• If you are creating a business name, is it going to be descriptive or inventive?
• What is your initial test-list of name possibilities?
• What feedback are you getting from people you trust?
• Did you research online (look for other businesses with the same name or take a look at your competitors’ names, for example….what does googling your name possibilities reveal)?

Choosing Your Graphic Design Business Name

Did we go a bit quickly when we mentioned descriptive or inventive in your naming choices? Let’s unpack those terms more.

 

A descriptive name will help someone know what your business does, just from reading or hearing the name.

 

Even if it wasn’t famous, you’d know what Burger King sells, just from its name. That’s what a descriptive name does. It can be simple or creative, but the point is that the basic business focus is known instantly from its name.

 

On the other hand, you might want to invent a name. Our graphic design studio was renamed and rebranded when we realized we wanted to expand and target larger clients.

Our first name used our founder’s initials and was a descriptive name. But when we rebranded, we wanted something memorable and we looked to leverage key psychological factors (letter positioning in the alphabet, word ending reminders, and a catchy sound). Aventive was born, our inventive name!

 

We have a complete online course that will help you through naming your business, choosing your branding (colors, font, logo), deciding whether to have a website or not (yes!), and how to develop your all-important portfolio. Our course will help you to launch well.

 

Rather than guessing (like we had to do), you can learn from our successes (some of which arrived after multiple painful mistakes and trials!). The pace of our course allows for those who might be trying to juggle a freelance launch with another job or family responsibilities.

 

We carefully help you through the important milestones and will make sure that you don’t overlook anything important! Here’s the link for more information on our Freelance Starter Kit.

How Do You Determine Your Ideal Graphic Design Client?

There is one issue that we just can’t ignore. It’s really critical. It even has an impact on your selection of a business name. You will “live with” this critical piece of information throughout your business life — or, until you update it and rebrand! What is this pearl of wisdom?

 

Your ideal client.

 

You need to know who will be buying your freelance graphic design services. First, you have to decide some initial criteria: Is your ideal client a big company? Small? Are they individuals? Businesses? What is their industry?

 

(Knowing your target industry is part of identifying your niche, so if you aren’t familiar with the concept of “niching down,” go ahead and Google it.

 

We really don’t want to go on and on about our courses, but the Freelance Starter Kit also explains how important niching down is to your businesses success!)

Once you know these basic factors, think about the typical individual who will be making the decision to purchase the freelance services you offer.

 

Are they a man? Woman? Older? Younger? Where do they live? What is their economic demographic? What do they like doing? And the all important last question: where do they hang out (on social media)?

 

You now know who your ideal client is. With this knowledge, you can return to your business naming exercise and test your names. What does your ideal client think of your business name(s)? Think of what they like, where they are, and what they need.

 

Does your business name bring you to the forefront of their decision making? Will your social media posts get noticed and drive traffic to your website? Is your ideal client drawn to your business by your name and logo?

 

All of these details are critical. Your “ideal client” is your new best friend…and where your freelance profitability will come from!

 

Is Your Business Name Someone Else’s?

Some helpful soul will likely ask you if you’ve “registered” your name. Legal issues can be complicated, and we know you aren’t a lawyer (and neither are we)!

 

We had the same questions, too, for both of our studio’s name iterations. Here’s what we learned along the way. (Please obtain independent legal advice for a clear explanation of your unique situation…we’re telling you our story so you’ll know you aren’t alone, but we can’t help with legal advice, of course!)

 

You can use online search tools to see if your name(s) are already trademarked by someone else. If you are uncertain about how to do this yourself, you can hire a “trademark attorney” to help you check.

 

At this point in your freelance career, you’re unlikely to register your name (it might be beyond your budget and regional trademarking can get complicated), but it’s wise to know if there is already a claim on the name you want to use. If this is the case, avoid the name, of course…keep researching and trying out names.

It wise to think about your online domain at this point, as well. Check if there is a variation of your name for a signature domain (ie. website address, customized email addresses, etc.).

 

You don’t need to worry about how to have a website or personalized email yet, but you need to determine if a suitable domain is available (and how much it will cost, as some domains are really expensive…and some are cheap!).

 

Unlike trademarking, this isn’t just a research step — you’ll want to buy the domain as soon as you determine which name you’re going to choose, so it will be yours!

 

We’re excited for your launch! You are going to be a solo entrepreneur and you’ll get to determine so many things about your life and career now…like how much you work, where you work from, and how much money you make.

 

But here, at the start, you have one fun, important (but not irreversible), creative decision to make…selecting your business name!