Names Archives - Page 2 of 2

Intranet Project Names – Some Ideas

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet.”

In this famous quote from Act II of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tells Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention, and the fact he is a Montague and she a Capulet (warring families) means nothing to their love.

However, there is some strong evidence from the UK’s Cranfield University – and elsewhere – that the name one gives a project does have a marked impact on the behaviour and motivation of the people involved. It may surprise you, but the name you give to your Intranet Project could well be the most important decision you make in the early stages of mobilisation!

The Direct Approach

There is an argument in faour of naming your Intranet Project the – wait for it – “Intranet Project”! Often, so-called “secret squirrel” names (where one has to ferret out from colleagues what Project Banana is all about) serve only to create an unnecessary air of mystique (fit only for secret M&A projects). They can also serve to be divisive, by separating ‘people in the know’ from people outside the immediate project audience.

The functional approach

A functional name focuses on what the intranet does (e.g. search, find, access). This enjoys the same benefits as the direct approach, but affords one a little more poetic license. What about names like “Project Connect” or “Project Gateway”, which serve to signal the core “must have” requirements for the project?

The conceptual approach

There is a problem with the direct or functional approaches; Research from Cranfield has demonstrated that people on projects tend to be very heavily influenced in their actions by the name of the project itself. If you call your project the Intranet project, it is a working intranet (i.e. the technology) that you will get. If your ambition was something much more visionary, such as a wholly new way of working for your people, you are likely to be disappointed!

The conceptual name targets what is achieved by the functionality, rather than the functionality itself. For example, if your company name was BigCo and your purpose was seeking to get everyone in the company working together, you could call the project “Project OneBigCo” or “Project Unity”. For the aforementioned new ways of working objective, you could use “Project Future Workplace”.

The abstract approach

The abstract approach deals with how the project makes people feel. For example, “Project Bliss” (for happiness), “Project Wizard” (for magic) or “Project Pulse” (for fast-pacedness). Although one world usually fails to capture all you are trying to achieve with an Intranet Portal, this approach can prove highly effective (particularly where counter-cultural).

If all else fails

Nothing grabbed you so far? Well there is no saving you, then! I suppose there are always the standard fallback options: names of greek or roman gods, names of planets, names of birds and names of dances. These have the added value that – if you spawn follow-on projects in a sequence – you have ready-made logical follow-on project titles. Incidentally, “Project Mercury” would be my recommendation for planets or gods (as Mercury was the roman god of communications).

For more ideas on project names, why not check out my presentation in chapter 10 of my (free to access) Intranet Portal Guide.

Basics of Creating Business Names

Creating a business name is among the first steps of starting a new business. Coming up with a good name may be easy for some, but many others would struggle with the task. Whether you are starting a local, global or an online business, you need to have an attractive and inviting name. Here are some basics of creating business names.

Let us look at the four basic ways:

Personal or Family

This is relatively easy to do. This could be your full, first or your family name. You can also use initials, or if you have a partner your names together. Examples: LL Beans, McDonald’s, RM Williams, Gillette.

Descriptive

These are generic names and make it easy for the potential customers to identify what kind of business or service your company provides. Examples: International Business Machines (IBM), British Airways.

Combined Personal and Descriptive

This is a combination of personal/family with generic descriptive names. Examples: Ford Motor Company, Dell Computers, Dunlop Tires.

Created

These are simple ‘no-sense’ words or combination of words. Examples: Amazon, Google, Microsoft.

You can use any of these four basic methods to name your business. You can also combine two or more methods and generate a creative and attractive name. When creating a business name here are some important things to remember.

Do not be too local – unless you have a particular reason. If you ever want to expand, this will prove to be a big bottleneck.

Make it easy to understand, spell and pronounce. A company name should be hard to forget and easy to spell.

Avoid very generic names, such as Joe’s Saloon, Sam’s Bar, etc. They are not very memorable.

During the naming process, Google search by entering your chosen name inside double quote marks. See if there are any other businesses with the same name, particularly in the same country or local area.

Check availability of domain names – even if it matter only in distant future. Make sure that YourCompanyName.com or whatever is available, and get it registered once your have finalized your business name.

Choosing a business name is a marketing decision. So, choose simple and straightforward over complex or clever.

Biblical Business Names: Company and Product Names Inspired by the Bible

Not long ago novelist Marilynne Robinson published an article in the New York Times about Biblical references in literature, which got me thinking about Bible-inspired company names and product names.

Surprisingly, there aren’t that many.

Robinson pointed out in her article, “Biblical allusions can suggest a degree of seriousness or significance.” They have gravity and resonance and indicate a complexity of experience, she noted.

I believe these points can apply also when Biblical allusions appear in business names. Because of widespread education in religious faith, Bible-inspired names often draw on a well of familiarity. They have more potential for long-term relevance and recognition than references from movies, songs and other elements of popular culture.

If you are running a secular business, you might want to avoid a religious flavor. However, as you’ll see in most of the examples below, Biblical references don’t necessarily come across as either sectarian or devout.

Biblically derived names fall into these categories:

1. Characters from the Bible. For example:

* Samsonite – After Samson, the Old Testament’s legendary strong man.

* Lot’s Wife Gourmet Sea Salt – A reference to the woman married to Abraham’s nephew, who was warned not to look back as they fled the fire and brimstone of Sodom and Gomorrah. She did, though, and was turned into a pillar of salt.

* Bezalel Coins – In the Book of Exodus, Bezalel was a master artisan chosen to craft the Ark of the Covenant and other sacred objects.

2. Words, phrases or concepts from the Bible, especially from the Book of Proverbs, but also from other parts of the Bible.

* Iron Men – A two-man construction company in Michigan named for Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

* Apples of Gold – An online jewelry company that explicitly notes a reference to Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold, in settings of silver.”

* Forbidden Fruit – A store in Austin, Texas that sells (ahem) adult toys, named after the scene in the Garden of Eden where naughty Eve persuades Adam to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which God forbade them to consume.

3. Chapter or verse numbers. This kind of Biblical reference surprised me, as most people can’t cite chapter and verse by memory for familiar Bible passages. However, when explained, these allusions have resonance.

* Fitness 9:27 – A personal training company whose name points to I Corinthians 9:27: “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

* Thirty-One – A direct sales company offering purses, tote bags and organizational products, whose mission of celebrating, encouraging and rewarding women parallels the evocation of the Woman of Valor in Proverbs 31.

In North America, Biblical references – especially those from the Old Testament – tend to have an ecumenical flavor and don’t necessarily identify you with a particular religion. However, internationally that may be less true.

While discussing company names with a man intending to set up headquarters in Dubai with a company name in English, I asked him about using the name Solomon to evoke wisdom. “No, that would be perceived as Jewish. Islam has the same figure but refers to him as Suleiman.” And naturally, in India or Indonesia, King Solomon may not evoke any associations at all.

Medical Transportation Business Names

When it comes to starting a non-emergency medical transportation business it is important that you choose a suitable name. Many entrepreneurs overlook the importance that a name can play in the development of a brand. The right name can help you to make a great first impression on people in your market and it can help you to build long term relationships and reputation.

Don’t make the mistake of leaving this important decision to the last minute like other business owners do. Put some thought into coming up with a great name that will serve your ambulette business well as you develop and grow over the years.

Here are a list of points that you may consider as you go about the process of naming your non-emergency medical transportation business (NEMT business).

Relevance and Professionalism

A great name should be relevant to what your business does. Rather than having something obscure that leaves people guessing, you may as well use the words ‘medical’ and ‘transportation’ in the title. This will immediately communicate to people exactly what it is that you do.

You could even use other words that further define your services. It can be a good idea to avoid getting too specific though as you may change your business model further down the line and cater to a different section of the market.

The qualities that people will look for in a medical transportation business are of course professionalism and reliability. Your name should instill confidence in people and let them know that you are indeed a reliable operation that is committed to running a safe and reliable ambulette service. For this reason, many small business owners use their own surname or first name as a part of their business name.

Be Unique, Original and Memorable

While the word ‘transportation’ will hardly be unique in the industry you can combine it with other words to create something new and original that will stand out. Take a look at what other local non-emergency medical transportation companies have done with their names and make sure that your name clearly distinguishes your business from theirs.

A great name should be memorable. As well as giving people a good first impression it should be easy enough, and catchy enough so that it stands out in their minds over the long term. Create a list of names and then run them by some of your friends and colleagues to find out which ones have a positive impact on them. Ask them about the names again several days later and see which ones they are able to remember.

Legal Considerations

There are also important legal considerations to think about when it comes to choosing a name. You absolutely must ensure that the name that you select is not already in use by another business in the same industry. Run a names search through the database at your county clerks office and do a thorough check online to make sure that your selection will not cause you to encounter legal issues further down the road.

Practical and Functional

Good choices for names will typically be short and practical. A short name is easier to remember and more practical when it comes to using it on business cards or using it to answer the phone. Don’t mess around with words that are difficult to spell or pronounce.

You may also consider a name that works well as an acronym. For example, ‘Sacramento Transportation Services’ could be called STS for short.

Remember that you will want to get a website set up at some point. Before you finalize your choice and register a name for your business you should also snap up any relevant domain names.

Brainstorming for Ideas

To help you come up with some name ideas put a big list of relevant words together. These words could be related to your location, your industry, your market or the services that you offer. You could also come up with words related to reliability and friendliness that describe your service. Emotional sounding words can also have a strong impact.

As well as your own thoughts you can also ask other people for their opinions. Look over some of the names that other medical transportation businesses around the world are using for ideas. Names in use by businesses in the transportation and medical industries may also provide some inspiration.

Some entrepreneurs even hire branding or marketing consultants to help them come up with the right name and brand image before they go into business. It could be a good idea to seek professional help if you really feel that you are not up to this important task.

A Name to Be Proud Of

Perhaps most importantly, the owner of the business has to love its name. You ideally need a name that you can feel proud to be associated with. The right choice should inspire you, help you to focus on developing the business and make you want to work hard to grow your brand name.

Once you have started your business it is not easy to backtrack and make changes to your name. if you do so then you will come up against many expenses relating to alterations to paperwork and printed promotional materials. Changing your business name is one of the best ways to confuse and isolate your customers unless the process is carefully managed.

For the above reasons it is essential that you ensure that you have a great name for your non-emergency medical transportation business right from the start. Give this important decision the time and attention that is deserves.