Are you quietly worried about what to name your coaching business?
Do you find yourself debating between your own name (you like it, it’s you!), or some sort of other, more descriptive name that is more in tune with your coaching niche?
John Smith Coaching.
Or…
Inner Heart Date Coaching.
Which do you choose!
ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!
The pressure! It’s your baby, you want to get it right!
Take a deep breath, it’s okay! Let’s explore two major business name options, starting with:
1) Choosing your name as the name for your coaching business
There are some pros and cons to choosing your own name for your coaching practice, like “Jane Doe Coaching” or “Kevin McStuffin Von Trapp IV Coaching” :).
Pros:
-It’s easy and it’s YOU. You don’t have to agonize!
-You can expand your coaching business without being tied to something uber specific in the future (like if you decide you hate date coaching after becoming a date coach, you can expand into something different but not be tied to “Dating is My Life Coaching” as your only visible name).
-You don’t have to fight someone else for the name – it’s *probably* not taken in this context.
Cons:
-Your own name isn’t descriptive of your coaching services, so it can confuse clients if you aren’t careful. “John D. Smith Coaching” tells me nothing about what you do. Are you an executive coach? A date coach? What? It’s not something I can find on google when I search – I’ll be searching on my problem, not on your name.
-You are tied to your name! This can be bad, if you do change niches and you’ve made a name for yourself, it’s hard then to keep using your name…for your name. Does that make sense? You can’t change your own name the way you can change a business name, so that *could* make your life difficult in the future.
Let’s explore option two!
2) Choosing a name that’s tied to what you do, or that means something to you specifically, as a name for your coaching business
The other approach is to name your business *something* usually something tied to what you do, like “Date Like a Man.” Or choosing a business name that is tied to a feeling or desire, or it means something to you personally, like “The Revolutionary Club.” 🙂
Pros:
-It’s nice to have a name that instantly describes what you do or how you want people to feel. Then when someone shares your company or stumbles on your website from google search, they immediately know who you are and how you can help them.
-Choosing a name other than your own allows you to take a mulligan if you need to. If your current business model or niche doesn’t work out, you can easily change the name of your company to fit your new direction.
-You have so many options! You can literally choose *almost* anything (try not to get a name that’s trademarked already :)).
Cons:
-Ugh. You have SO MANY options. How do you choose?
-Seriously, how do you choose?
Don’t panic!
Here’s the real truth: Your name *kind of* doesn’t matter. For example:
Amazon.
Uber.
Blackberry.
There are a lot of companies with names that didn’t initially connect to what they sell. When someone first told you to “call an Uber” were you a little bit confused? Exactly! But did you call it anyway? YES.
So here’s my point: Is the name of your business something you should think about? Absolutely.
Is it going to make or break you? Not at all. (Here’s a helpful blog on things that WILL make or break you if you are curious).
This is GREAT news. It means that you can take some of the pressure off, and just go with what you want. It will be okay!
(Keep reading for some specific advice on what to do next).
Struggling with the business name thing and still not sure what to do? Here’s some advice to help
If you aren’t certain about what to choose in order to name your business, then my best advice is NOT to start with your own name, unless you are seriously well known among the potential clients you want to reach. If you are a famous basketball player who played on the Bulls and you want to coach basketball, then by all means go with “Michael Jordan Coaching.”
But, if you are just starting out with no name recognition, then I’d think about going with a name that is memorable and somewhat descriptive to what you plan on doing as a coach. Think “Become an Executive” or “Calm Parent Coaching.”
To brainstorm business names, start with writing down different versions of what you do/who you help. Things like “Millennial Leadership Coach” or “Get Millennial Leaders Promoted” to warm up your mind grapes.
Then make a list of feelings or desires, and things that are important to you and write them down. It can be anything from words you love, to how you want clients to feel, to how you describe your style.
Don’t be shy! Write down anything that comes to mind, no matter how relevant. “Dignified” “Grown up” “Caring” “Motivated” “Approachable” – any word is okay. This is just brainstorming!
Got your lists? Great!
Next step: Take a look at both lists and then take a walk and let your mind wander. What’s coming up for you? Write it down!
And if you are stuck, just put the different words together, and see what that sparks for you.
You’ll almost instantly start to come up with ideas for coaching business names, and some of them you might really start to like. (True story: This is how the words Coach and Pony got stuck together to make this awesome community!).
Finally, once you have your business name, I’d also grab the URL for your own name, so you own it for the future.
Here’s why: If your life coaching business grows and your own face and name become more famous than your business name, you can always easily transition over to just using your own name. For example, John Lee Dumas started out as Entrepreneur on Fire, and Marie Forleo started out as Rich Hot and Happy.
That way you have the best of both worlds. Yay!
And if you are still struggling, again, don’t panic! Take a walk, work out, go out and relax and take a few nights to sleep on it.
Your mind will be furiously working in the background, and YOU will be on your way to a great coaching name for your business in no time, okay?
Remember, whatever you choose will be okay. You’ve got this!
Call to Action (Do this Now!)
Are you starting out as a coach but don’t know how to find clients? Ugh, it’s like the holy grail, right? No problem! Join this AWESOME and super concrete on-demand webinar all about how to market your coaching business (including some pretty terrible mistakes that most new coaches make, but you’ll now be able to avoid!).
Sign up here, it’s worth about $500, but we are giving it away for free right now. Seriously, we promise it’s worth your time (there is no long 20 minute introduction about how awesome Coach Pony is. We go straight to the teaching!).