For those just starting a small business, the name and logo they choose may be one of the most important business decisions they make in terms of how successful their brand name will appeal to the public. Having an effective business name means relating to your customers who you are and hopefully what you do. A business logo is, in essence, a shorthand version of your business name that grants instant identification and gravitas to your company, even if it’s only a small, one person online business. Selecting the right name for your new business should carry some thought as to how it helps identify you in the marketplace. The name you select should be different enough to separate you from the competition, yet identifiable with the product or service that you are promoting. The end result may not fully address both of these aspects, but if you make the right decision then having a good business name will actually make your marketing efforts more straightforward and easier to implement.

The important elements of a good business name include:

Who You Are: Does the name you select reflect the type of business you do? For some professions such as the medical, legal and accounting this might mean incorporating your personal name into the title. For other types of businesses, you may want to incorporate the name of the product.

What You Do: Look at the name you choose from your customer’s viewpoint. Does it inform them about what you do? If not, then you might want to change it to something that is more in line even if it’s a bit off the wall.

It Separates Your Business from the Competition: This can be very important as your business name stands as your identification. If you want to be the best, having a name too similar to another business is not going to help.

Choose an Interesting Name: Again, from your customer’s point of view you should choose a name that stands out and practically begs investigation. A name such as “Rapid Plumbing” might be of interest to those who want plumbing service quick for example.

Your business logo should also reflect your company name, but act as a shorthand version of the complete title. This means you should always pair your company name with the business logo, but you can use the logo separately if you want to maximize space and create instant identification. There are several reasons you should choose an compelling business logo.

Instant Identification: It’s astonishing just how many words people can miss when reading text, but they always seem to spot that logo. The size, color and shape always make logos stand out.

Denote Professionalism: A well made logo conveys the impression to your clients about the money you spent in developing it and the seriousness that you take your business. Subconsciously, a good business logo grants you the status of a well established company even if you are just starting out.

Creativity: A well designed logo also implies creativity and focus, that your business strives to be the best and will use creative, new ways to achieve its goals.

These are just a few reasons you should use a business logo as the signature of your company.