How to Choose a Powerful and Authoritative Consulting Business Name

One of your first steps in starting a consulting business is choosing the perfect consulting business name.

A great consulting business name reflects your company's mission, values, and consulting services. It should create a lasting impression on potential clients. This blog post will teach you how to create multiple powerful, test your names for legal and domain availability, and validate the best name with your ideal clients.

Short Summary

• A great consulting business name is essential for establishing trust with clients.

• Brainstorm multiple names from which you can choose a memorable, authoritative name that reflects your company’s mission, values, and Cornertsone consulting services.

• Verify trademark, domain name, and email addresses to ensure the long-term success of your brand.

The Importance of a Great Consulting Business Name

An appropriate consulting business name is paramount in quickly and memorably communicating what you do. It should reflect the nature of the business, convey your competitive edge, and be distinct from the competition. A great business name can help you build a strong brand identity and establish trust with potential clients.

Two potential approaches to naming a consulting firm are using your own name or establishing a branded name. Whichever approach you choose, it is important to consider factors such as reflecting the company's mission, values, and consulting services, choosing a name that resonates with clients, and ensuring it is easy to write and pronounce.

Remember, your business name will be the first impression many potential clients have of your consulting firm, so make it count!

Understanding Your Business Identity

As a consultant, understanding your business identity is critical to choosing a name for your consulting business. Your business identity encompasses who you are as a consultant, the type of services you offer, how you want to be perceived, and what sets you apart from other consultants.

Understanding these parts can help you create a name that reflects your brand's mission, values, and consulting services and resonates with your target audience.

This process can be time-consuming and difficult if your consulting services, business niche, and ideal client aren't well-defined. However, investing in a well-thought-out name for your consulting business can be a defining point in setting yourself apart from the competition.

Analyzing Your Target Niche and Ideal Clients

Analyzing your target niche and ideal clients is vital in establishing a successful consulting business. When you truly understand your niche's needs and your ideal client's profile, you increase the chances of your consulting company name resonating with the people you want to target.

Using the Minimum Viable Services approach and market niche research is critical to ensure you know your niche and ideal clients before investing heavily in a unique consulting business that focuses on a narrow niche. A name that is too unique or distinct could alienate potential clients on the fringe or your niche. (Use the techniques we teach in Critical to Success courses to validate your niche and ideal client profile.)

Nailing Your Niche: Consulting Business Name Ideas by Industry

Different consulting niches require different approaches when it comes to selecting a business name. For example, strategy consulting firms guide companies in developing a long-term vision and identifying inconsistencies in their strategies. A name for a strategy consulting firm should convey authority and expertise.

Operations consulting firms like Quick Wins Consulting, Flywheel, and FastStart imply helping businesses optimize their operations. A name in this niche should highlight the firm's ability to deliver practical solutions and tangible results.

In each case, it is crucial to choose a name that reflects the nature of the enterprise and sets you apart from other consulting companies in the industry.

Creating Your Consulting Business Name

Creating a consulting business name involves brainstorming potential names, ensuring they are memorable and resonate with your target audience, and checking their availability.

In the following subsections, we will dive into various aspects of creating a consulting business name, from making it memorable to adding a personal touch and using wordplay.

Making It Memorable: Short and Catchy Consulting Business Names

Choosing a concise and memorable name for your consulting business is crucial - it makes it easy for potential clients to remember, spell, and pronounce. 

When creating your own consulting business name, strive for simplicity and clarity. A name that is too complex or difficult to pronounce may deter potential clients. Remember that your business name will often be the first point of contact for potential clients and should leave a lasting impression.

Building Trust: Professional and Authoritative Consulting Business Names

An authoritative and professional business name establishes client trust and credibility. Consulting firms such as Accelerant, Accountability & Co., or Human Innovation have names that carry a positive meaning and convey their mission. These names suggest that the firms are reliable, knowledgeable, and committed to helping their clients succeed.

When selecting your consulting business name, consider the image you want to project and the message you want to convey. Ensure that your chosen name instills confidence in your potential clients and reflects your expertise and commitment to delivering results.

Unleashing Your Creativity: Tips for Brainstorming Names

Brainstorming is the initial step in devising a consulting business name. Strategies that can be employed to create a memorable consulting business name include incorporating relevant keywords, synonyms, prefixes, and suffixes, combining words that evoke particular sentiments, and utilizing words from other languages that are easy to enunciate.

Tip
To further unleash your creativity, construct a mission statement before devising a business name. Your mission statement can be a source of inspiration for your consulting business name.

Your goal should be to develop three to five unique consulting business names that reflect the nature of your business and stand out from your competition.

Personally Brainstorming Consulting Business Names

Brainstorming by yourself is one of the most common methods of coming up with a consulting business name. You can explore ideas without external influence. It is also a great way to create original and unique names that capture the essence of your business.

One of the positives of brainstorming as an individual is that it allows you to focus on your core values and mission statement without worrying about the opinion of others. This means you can come up with an appropriate consulting business name that truly reflects your services and brand identity.

On the negative side, individual brainstorming can be a time-consuming process, and you can second-guess yourself and overlook potential names due to a lack of fresh ideas. Your personal biases can come into the name without you being aware of it. It is also difficult to be objective about your own ideas and make an informed decision.

It is important to remember to get the opinion of people who make up your pool of ideal clients.

A good way to brainstorm as an individual or with a group is using Post-It notes and a whiteboard to brainstorm and post as many as possible. Let them stay on the board for a few days adding or changing as ideas come to you. Then pick your top three to five names to validate with your ideal clients. Learn more about brainstorming at the Critical to Success blog, How to Do the Best Brainstorming.

Group Brainstorming Consulting Business Names

Group brainstorming can be a great way to generate a wide range of consulting business name ideas. To ensure the optimal composition of people and resources for group brainstorming, include individuals with varied backgrounds and perspectives, and provide them with the necessary materials such as paper, pens, post-it notes, and whiteboards.

Posting your consulting firm's mission statement, values, niche, and ideal clients on a whiteboard or front wall is always a good idea. This helps keep ideas from the group in focus.

Fostering an environment of open dialogue is paramount; each participant should feel comfortable sharing their ideas and building upon the ideas of others. Asking questions to help generate additional ideas is also beneficial. Don't be afraid to challenge each other's ideas and explore various possibilities. This process will help you refine your consulting business name options and settle on the best choice.

For tips on doing group brainstorming, check this blog in Critical to Success, How to Do the Best Brainstorming.

I've used variations on this group brainstorming method for years with groups ranging from assembly line personnel to the executive suites of Fortune 1000 companies.

Online Business Name Generators

Online business name generators can be invaluable in creating a consulting business name.

Business name generators provide a fast and efficient way to brainstorm a high volume of unique consulting business names that fit your mission and consulting services. They can generate hundreds of name ideas in a matter of seconds.

To begin, go to one of the online consulting business name generators listed below, and type in keywords that describe your client services, niche, and clients. This will help the generator create names tailored specifically to your consulting business. From there, the generator will generate a list of potential names.

A downside to using generated names is that they may not accurately reflect your consulting firm's brand and values. You must enter appropriate name characteristics, like those listed in the section below, and ensure the name matches your consulting company's services, niche, and clients.

Choose three to five names to work with. As you do more research, test with the client audience, and check for legal conflicts, you may find you need to eliminate some of the name candidates.

Popular Business Name Generators:

Some popular online generators for consulting business names are,

NameMesh
NameMesh is a comprehensive business name generator that provides various name ideas based on synonyms, suffixes, prefixes, and more. Additionally, it offers a domain search feature so you can quickly check if the domain is available.
https://www.namemesh.com/

Looka
Looka guides you step-by-step through the branding and naming process. It helps you build your brand identity (color, fonts, style, etc.), logo, and name. It also helps you identify and purchase a URL for your business. Looka is an all-in-one creative site for giving your business a great look.
https://looka.com/business-name-generator/

Wordlab Business Name Generator
Wordlab offers a comprehensive list of business name ideas based on the keywords you enter. It also provides tips on how to choose the perfect business name.
https://www.wordlab.com/tools/business-name-generator/

Additional consulting business name generators are:

NameSnack (https://www.namesnack.com/)

Business Name Generator (https://businessnamegenerator.com/)

Wix Business Name Generator (https://www.wix.com/tools/business-name-generator)

Namelix (https://namelix.com/)

Adding a Personal Touch: Using Your Own Name in Your Consulting Business

Using your own name for your consulting business can be a viable option, especially if your consulting business is highly personal and you already have authority and name recognition.

Names for consulting businesses can be straightforward. Most small firms use the founder’s name and add the mission statement as a sub-line to clarify the core consulting services. You might also add one or two words after your name as a descriptor. One advantage to adding one or two descriptive words after your name is that you are more likely to get the domain name you want for your website and email.

For example,

Robertson Engineering
Davis Strategic Performance

A few corporations and firms you might recognize who are named after the founders are,

A. G. Edwards

Adidas

Albertsons

J.D. Powers

Schwab

Arthur Andersen

Consider Characteristics Behind a Consulting Name

Before brainstorming ideas for names, it often helps to outline a few naming characteristics. These characteristics act as "seeds" for your ideas and as “guardrails” to keep ideas within bounds.

Here are a few characteristics that can help you develop appropriate names.

Acronyms
Brainstorming potential names using acronyms can be a great way to create a memorable name quickly and efficiently. Start by brainstorming relevant words describing your services or industry, then use each word's first letter to create a unique business name.

Combining Words
Brainstorming potential names by combining words is a great way to create unique and creative names that stand out from the competition. Start by brainstorming two or three relevant words that describe your services and then combine them to form a new word.

Personal Names
Incorporating personal names into your business name can create a sense of identity and familiarity. Some of the world's largest consulting and professional services businesses use personal names.

Relevant Industry Terms
To create a name that immediately communicates the purpose of your business, consider using relevant industry terms. Brainstorm words that describe your services or niche and combine them to create a unique name. Be aware that creating a name focused on a tight niche may restrict your growth or require a new name in the future.

Geographic Names
Geographic names can be a great way to communicate your business’s geographic location or to connect to a specific area. Start by brainstorming a few relevant words that communicate the location of your business and then combine them to create a unique name.

International Considerations for Consulting Business Names

When selecting a consulting business name, consider how your potential name will be received in other countries or cultures. Opt for language-neutral words that people with different languages and cultures can easily understand and pronounce.

Choosing a globally appealing and relevant name allows you to position your consulting firm for success in an increasingly interconnected world.

Checking Availability: Domain Names and Trademarks

Once you have brainstormed potential consulting business names, checking their availability for trademark and use as a legal entity is important. This includes verifying domain names and trademarks to ensure you are not infringing on existing trademarks.

Checking for Trademark and State Business Identity Availability

To verify trademark and state business identity availability, search the United States Patent and Trademark (USPTO) database and your state's Secretary of State website for registered business names. Conducting a comprehensive search will help ensure that you are not infringing on any existing trademarks or business identities.

Check the USPTO database at https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/search.

To find available business names in your state, use a search term like,

California Secretary of State business name availability

You can avoid potential legal issues and brand confusion by thoroughly researching trademark and state business identity availability.

Checking for Domain and Email Availability

Checking domain and email availability is critical in selecting a consulting business name. To check for domain and email availability, search for potential domain names on GoDaddy or other domain sellers. This will help ensure your chosen name is available, and your business can be online.

Many online business name generators also enable you to register your consulting business name.

Selecting a succinct and straightforward domain name is a great advantage as it is more memorable for your prospects and clients. By securing your domain and social media handles promptly, you can prevent them from being claimed by another party and begin to build a strong online presence for your consulting business.

Testing Business Names with Your Ideal Clients

Once you have narrowed down your list of potential consulting business names, testing them with your ideal clients is important. You want to ensure the name resonates with your target audience and is commercially viable. Gather input from different people, such as colleagues, prospects, mentors, and clients. Do not ask for opinions from friends and family. They are biased and not your ideal clients.

By testing business names with your ideal clients and prospects, you can refine your options and ultimately settle on a name that is appealing and effective in communicating your company's mission and values. This will help you build a strong brand identity and establish trust with potential clients.

Congratulations on Your New Business Name.
Now, Get It Out There!

Congratulations on selecting your new consulting business name!

Now that you have a unique, memorable name that reflects your company's mission, values, and services, it's time to get your name out there and start building your brand. Begin by updating your new business name on your marketing materials, such as your website, business cards, and social media profiles.

As you embark on this exciting journey, remember that your business name is just the beginning. Focusing on delivering exceptional consulting services will build your brand and give your consulting business name power and authority to grow even more.

Summary

Keep your company's mission, values, and core service offerings foremost as you move forward with your new business name. By staying true to your vision and consistently delivering exceptional consulting services, you will create a strong brand identity that resonates with clients and sets your business apart.

It's time to get out and make your mark in the consulting industry!

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I name my consulting business if I am not sure?

When starting and unsure of your consulting direction, use your name for your consulting business. Append 'consulting' or 'strategy' to your name to illustrate your expertise and let clients know you are a professional firm.

Transition to a new name later when your consulting services, niche, and ideal client are well-defined.