I recently received a copy of a newspaper supplement commemorating National Small Business Week called “From Beginners to Bigshots.” The paper features profiles of several successful small businesses. A common theme among most of businesses profiled: creative brand names that are neither descriptive nor arbitrary – they are suggestive and provide a hint of the services provided. In addition, many have creative logos and/or slogans.
For example:
- MEI Technologies Inc. – Merging Excellence and Innovation – an advanced technology company serving civil, commercial and defense industries. [Two USPTO registrations: name and logo.]
- Smooth Move Senior Relocation Services Inc. – with a great slogan that ties in with the cow logo… “we’ll handle the udder stuff“
- Breaking Ground Contracting Co. – Green building services. Slogan: “Construction. Redefined.”
- Asuragen Inc. – biotechnology company. [USPTO registration for name.]
- Peas of Mind LLC – healthy frozen food company. [USPTO registration for name.]
- Kwaplah International Inc. – Export services. “Kwaplah” means “all of us” in Liberian.
Lesson: Having a unique, strong, protected and creative brand name provides a business with a better chance to succeed. Sure, some successful companies have bland names, and some creatively named businesses fail, but all things being equal having a memorable and creative name, logo and slogan can give any business a leg up on the competition.
