Is it time to make your screen printing venture official? Before choosing your business or domain name, here are three things you need to think about.
1. Does it Reflect Your Niche?
Your business name is the first interaction your customers have with you. What kind of impression do you want to make? Your name should reflect your chosen niche, the thing that:
– Keeps you excited about screen printing, which,
– You know you can be the best at, and,
– Your customers need, but also,
– You can make money doing!
Choose a name that quickly communicates what you do (and what you’re great at!). Trust me, you’ll thank me when you come up at the top of a Google search for something like “print concert tees in Portland.”
2. Does it Belong To Someone Else?
There’s only one you, so there should only be one company with your name competing for the same pieces of business. Before filing paperwork to register a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name, call the state filing office to see if it’s in use locally. And, if you’re planning on growing (which we assume you are!), use the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s trademark search tool to see if a similar name, or variations of it, is trademarked. If not follow these steps to learn how to trademark your business name for less than $300.
3. Can You Claim it Online and on Social?
It’s no secret that a lot of the good (and no so good) urls were claimed a long time ago. Before settling on a name, check the WHOIS database to see if the URL is taken. If not, read this guide on how to register a domain name.
Then, do a quick scan of your sales and marketing channels (including social), to look for conflicts. Is the Facebook page name available? How about Instagram? Etsy?
What Next?
Hungry for more information? Check out Part 1 of our new educational series, “Building Your Own Screen Printing Business, Part 1 :: Crafting Your Design”
Look out for the coming installments of this all new business series!
-Ryan Moor
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