Hey guys, I’m getting ready to form my LLC, and need some input on a company name and thought I’d ask the pros(I don’t trust my buddies for advice). Your input is much appreciated. I’ve got it narrowed down to three:
“Inspections by Aaron” “At Home Inspections” “Apex Home Inspections”
Don’t use your name. You may grow someday, you may want to sell someday, you don’t want the company identity being just you.
Enter you location in your profile, that could help with suggestions.
in my state if you don’t use your name then you will have to file a fictitious name. I have other companies underneath my LLC which is my name LLC
I agree with Troy. Also, Apex seems like it’s been used, and the At Home, I see where you are going with it, just sounds weird to me. It seems also like you want the name to start with the letter A. Let me know if I’m off on this, but people seem to think that their company name should start with the first letter of the alphabet for yellow pages or something, but I think that’s really an outdated way of thinking nowadays. You can really use any name you want with the Internet now. This could be the hardest decision about starting a business, so don’t rush into it. You’ll know it when you think of it. The fact that you are asking people here what they think tells me that you haven’t really figured out what’s right for you yet. Good luck.
just don’t call it 1st pro anything.what I would consider I would like to see the name of my company as.com so before you decide see if you can acquire your company name. Com
Check with the state to be sure it is not already in use, and check the domain as Roy suggested.
According to Levi, marketing with InterNACHI, your name should be something memorable, not necessarily inspection or home related. Ie: Big Buck Home Inspection, Blue Moon, Lazy River, Red Apple, etc. Then you’ll have a logo other than a house with a magnifying glass. Something different and memorable. Levi has a cool Red Truck logo available. Read this Levi explains the concept. You just might be more likely to find an available domain name too. I would check on the domain name as you name the company too.
I disagree Sold Roy’s home inspection 4 years ago and it is still doing very well .
Yes I was paid very well thanks better then most.
many successful companies have short easy to remember names .
Goodyear, Wendi’s , MacDonald’s are all family names
KISS keep it simple SXXXX
http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/businessnames/tp/8-Tips-for-Naming-a-Business.htm
If I did it over, I would have gone with Lafayette Home Inspections
it would help my SEO- being first on search engines when someone search " Lafayette home inspections" would be a given & many people would think it sounds official (like im municipal or something). (I live in Lafayette, IN)
That would help, but as long as that is your domain name you’ll do okay with web placement. My domain name is “Charleston Home Inspector”, but it is not my company name.
My company name just came to me out of the blue, on my way to file for my business license.
I’d see what domain names are available, and go from there.
I have had 15-20 LLC’s in Florida and that never came up for me
Same here. Fictitious business name filing is not required in California for an LLC.
(3) REGISTRATION.—A person may not engage in business under a fictitious name unless the person first registers the name with the division by filing a sworn statement listing:
An LLC is an entity on it’s own. If you’re using the LLC name as the business name, it’s not “fictitious”.
It can be different where your at.
Correct
What the other poster is referring to is a DBA. or doing business as.
Such as if you were a Wendy’s franchise and your name was joes investments you would need a DBA.
Right
There are Businesses that Illegally Open under Registered Business Names…
I was just able to be discontinued from a Lawsuit that was Improperly filed against my Company for actions committed by an Unregistered Business using a confusing similar name.
Cost several thousands to defend…(that I can not recover)
Properly register any / all businesses and always defend the improper use of your Business name.
I filed for trademark of my business name.