What should I call my field service management company?

One of the first hurdles you will face as you create your own field service management company? Naming it. While you probably shouldn't judge a book by its cover... people still do. And so will your customers. The name of your company says something about what type of company you have and who you want as your customers. Make sure you send the right message. Use these tips for naming your field service management company.

Descriptive

One of the characteristics of a good business name is that it is descriptive. When someone hears the name of your company, you want them to know immediately that you have a field service management business. While generic names have worked for some companies, you will get started on a better footing when adopting a specific, descriptive name. Choosing a descriptive name has another benefit too—it makes it easier for customers to find your business.

SEO Value

When you pick a name for your company, think about the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value. Will your business website come up in the search engine results when someone searches for a field service management company in your field? If not, add a word or two that people use to look up companies like yours. If, for example, you operate a plumbing business in Tallahassee, the company name "Tallahassee Plumbing" could help you rank for lucrative web searches like "plumber in Tallahassee."

Spelling

Don’t try to get fancy with the spelling of your business name either. “I still don't know if you spell Flickr with an ‘er’ or not. And I definitely have no idea how to spell delicio.us without looking it up,” says Yanik Silver, founder of Maverick 1000. “This sort of mildly dyslexic spelling is so last decade.” Silver continues, “Potential customers for your new venture of ‘Computer4You’ should be able to easily look up the name, and they shouldn't be asking whether a ‘you’ is a ‘u.’" Choose something that can only have one possible spelling and you'll avoid a lot of confusion (and make future TV or radio advertising much, much easier).

Memorable

When customers have to ask how to spell your company’s name, you risk becoming memorable for all the wrong reasons—and that’s the last thing you want. Choose something that stands out instead of a generic name. One option? You could lean into the humor. Some people choose funny names in an effort to make their brands more memorable, like the window cleaning company Men in Kilts. They deploy all of their workers wearing kilts, which leaves an impression. When building owners in their area think about hiring window cleaners, they'll conjure an image of a man in a kilt first.

Design Considerations

Next, look at how your company name looks in print. Does it make for a nice logo? If not, how could you tweak the name to fit a little better? (You don't want something that can't fit comfortably on a uniform or the side of a truck.) You also want to think about whether you can build marketing around your name. For instance, many pest control companies have logos that incorporate critters into the art. Does your name lend itself to the use of a mascot or some sort of character? Obviously, you don't need a titular mascot to succeed, but having one can make you memorable and give your company a personality. The email marketing service Mailchimp uses a chimpanzee, making an unsexy, utilitarian service (sending emails) seem fun and accessible.

Growth Prospects

Thinking of the future is important too. While you may have a field service management company today, you could expand your operations to cover more ground or branch out into different industries. Make sure that your name can grow with you. “Picking too narrow of a name may cause you problems down the road,” explains Richard Harroch of AllBusiness. “Imagine if Jeff Bezos had picked the name ‘OnlineBooks’ instead of ‘Amazon.’ So avoid names like ‘Wedding Dresses of San Francisco’ or ‘LugNuts Unlimited.’ You don’t want to limit your business to a particular product or a specific city.” Likewise, try to avoid using your own name as part of your company name.

Likability

No matter how carefully you choose your business name, one of the most important characteristics you need is for people to like the name. It needs to sound as good as it looks on paper. Ideally, think up several different business names and see what others think about them. Talk to your family, run it past your employees, poll your customers, or ask your business associates to see what they think. Getting their feedback can help you avoid making a mistake (like GM when it named one of its car models Nova, which translates to “doesn’t go” in Spanish).

Originality

Finally, make sure that any name you choose is original. You don’t want to choose a name someone else already picked, even if that company is located on the other side of the world. Ideally, any time someone types the name of your company into a search engine, your website should come up as the top hit. Plus, when you choose an original name, you stand a better chance at getting a “.com” domain name, registering for a trademark, and making the name legal.

Conclusion

It may be tempting to think that your product or service matters more than your name, but you should still give this task your full attention. The attitude that your name doesn’t matter could hurt you in the long run. If you choose just any old name, customers, investors, suppliers, and people in your network could look down on your company. A bad business name signals a lack of attention to detail and lack of diligence. So, take your time and come up with something great!