Entrepreneurs respond...

[WKnight]

It's a well known fact that IT contractors just love the idea of starting a product based company, and some even do it!

But how do you go about naming the product, aren't all the good names taken, just like all the good URLs?

If you've got a product, how did you go about naming it without treading on other companies' intellectual property?

Reply in IM, if you like: You could get some publicity on the CUK front page or simply have your wondrous opinion published!

Cheers
William Knight

answers may be quoted on CUK front page.

[Churchill]

"W anker Butter" - lubricate the part you want to beat!

[shoes]

But how do you go about naming the product

Yeah thats the difficult bit!! And there was me trying to identify opportunities and gaps in the market, I should have started with the name! If people are having difficulty in this area I will make a name up for you for a fee.

[MarillionFan]

"But how do you go about naming the product, aren't all the good names taken, just like all the good URLs?"

Thats not true bill. It's about building up a brand or web name. Given enough money you can make anything sound great!

Remember you heard www.monkeytrading.co.uk here first.

[xoggoth]

Not really, just think of a name and do a search on the net. There may be many SIMILAR names, but unless the actual business pursued is such that it causes confusion that is not a problem.

[OrangeHopper]

I came up with a company name the other day that is very ordinary and got zero hits on google. However, it had taken me at least 5 nights to come up with something plain that wasn't being used.

Like you, I'm now having trouble finding a name for the product.

[wendigo100]

Play around with an online thesaurus.

If your favourite words are taken, pick a positive adjective and stick it on the front, like easyJet.

BTW I always thought that faggots were made of brains.

[VectraMan]

Write a long list, and argue about it with somebody for a few weeks, then pick the one you hate the least.

Also depends on your market. I've found before that obscure names can work okay in the UK and most the world (e.g. "Blu Ray"), but for the American market the name has to say what it does (e.g. HD-DVD). And in these google enabled times we live, you want something that's going to appear on search results.

The problem is the obscure names are generally the only ones left.

[datestamp]

I came up with a company name the other day that is very ordinary and got zero hits on google.

Not particularly thorough !!

Search for names using a domain name registration site, to see if they have been purchased. Then check the Companies House web lookup to see which companies are in use. Then cross check a couple of search engines to search for any sign of concepts and designs in use that might be confused with your chosen name. (Microsoft don't seem to bother too much). Then finally interogate Google with a few buzz words to see what Google Adwords brings up in the way of adverts on the right hand side of the screen.

Following that , you may want to conduct a quick search through registered trademarks, to ensure you're not dropping yourself in it.

If you only have a quick glance at Google, you may easily find that names and concepts actually are in use for companies and domains, but don't yet show on Google.

And WKnight, if you want to find some new names, lock yourself in a room with a large flask of coffee and an Internet conncetion for an evening. I'm sure it can't be too difficult to find some ideas for brands and companies.

[datestamp]

There was of course, a story that I beleive was published many years ago (in Computer Weekly?) about the company Plessey (I believe) that merged with GEC (I think!) to form GEC Plessey Telecommunications (GPT).

Now my French is non too good, but I believe that 'GPT' is pronounced 'Jay-Pay-Tey' in French, which if said quickly can be understood as J'ai pete (I farted).

Perhaps, in the overall scheme of things, this wasn't a major triumph of marketing