Over the last few months I have been contemplating changing my business name. I created a long list of ideas and gathered advice from close creative friends.
Currently most people know my business as Devani Freeman and my social media management side is called Purl Media Solutions. However, I don’t really feel like Purl Media Solutions fits my company’s direction any longer, for a few reasons.
First off, I have to explain how “Purl” is spelled. Most people would assume it is “Pearl”. Purl actually stands for Personal URL. It sounds super cool, but again I have to explain it.
Second, all of my marketing and branding is wrapped around Devani Freeman, so when you google Purl Media Solutions, not as much content comes up. The question is, should I just use my personal name as my company? My main concern with that is that my name isn’t the easiest to pronounce so I felt that it could cause an issue?
I knew I needed to reach out to some bad ass online ladies and get some feedback. I reached out to three of my favorite marketing gurus: Fabienne Fredrickson, Sandi Krakowski and Marie Forleo. I asked each of them personally over the phone if they recommend choosing a business name or using your personal name as your business.
The feedback I received was great. All of their advice was pretty much in line with each other. The two most important questions to ask yourself when deciding on a business name:
1. What are your far future/end results for your company? For example, if you see yourself possibly selling your company down the road you may not want to have your company as your name (however there are big figures like Donna Karen that have sold their company and name).
2. Is your business your “big” calling. Is it something you see yourself being known for to the world?
If you answered yes to #1, you may want to create a business name that best reflects your company. If you answered yes to #2 you may want to use your personal name. If you answered yes to both, then it’s a toss up on what feels right in your heart. I also recommend getting feedback from your market and consulting with a brand strategist.
So with the help of these amazing ladies I have officially decided to stop all business name brainstorming and name my company Devani Freeman. As many friends mentioned, there are not many “Devani’s” out there! I could drop the last name and be like Madonna?…totally kidding, maybe.
So to make my new name complete, I created a tagline that represents my company and brand direction. My new tag line is “Modern Marketing Maven”. I am super excited…just saying it feels so right. What I teach is SO much more than just social media, it’s modern marketing! You don’t want to name your company something that puts a limit on how people perceive you. For example if I had a business name with the word social marketing in it, people would just assume that is all that I do. Make sense?
If you’re deciding on a business name I highly recommend asking yourself the two questions above. Do your research, but don’t let it hold you back from getting started or attracting clients.
I would love to hear how you decided on your business name and if you have any superstar name creators that helped you?
Cheers,
