There are so many subjective factors to consider when naming a company that it can drive you crazy. I’ve done it five times now, three times with other founders and twice by myself. The subjectivity spawns all kinds of hesitation, indecision, and arguments. So let me save you some of the headache. The factor that should be at the top of your list is whether the name resonates with you, the owner.
Think about how you’ll talk about your business with family, friends, investors, partners, and customers. You’re going to say the name hundreds of times. If the name resonates with you, that’s hundreds of positive impressions. People will hear the pride in your voice and see it in the way you run your business!
This resonance also has a way of making the other factors fall into place. The things you like about your company name will outweigh the things you may not like. For example, if Misty Mountain Ice Cream Shop truly resonates with you, it’s easier to deal with the length of the name or the availability of the URL.
Woodworks
My business is primarily about woodworking. Notice I said “primarily.” I think people are sometimes over burden themselves trying to come up with a name that covers everything the business does. A name doesn’t have to be comprehensive. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be descriptive.
But I knew I wanted a somewhat descriptive name. I considered several flavors. Woodworking, Woodshop, Workshop, Woodworking Studio, etc. I eliminated “woodworking” because it’s three syllables and wanted something a little snappier. I chose “woodworks” because I think it communicates an element of innovation. “Woodshop” sounded too much like the class I took in high school and “studio” sounded too much like I was an artist. I’ve got some artistic tendencies, but that’s as close as I get to being an artist.
It’s worth mentioning that many of the woodworkers I’ve come to respect also have “woodworks” in their names. I’m not suggesting you should fall in line with other companies in your field, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t help me feel good about using “woodworks” in the name of my company.
- 731 Woodworks. Matt has a super interesting origin story and he’s a prolific YouTuber. I’ve learned a ton about tools from him, good and bad.
- Lincoln St. Woodworks. One of the first Lincoln St. videos I happened to watch was about Jon’s decision to retire from his “day job” and turn his side hustle into a full-time gig. I’ve been hooked ever since.
- MWA Woodworks. I started following Matt because of a tutorial he did on cabinets, but I’m still a fan because I aspire to have a workshop like his.
Moto
This part was more difficult. I knew I needed a unique word to secure a domain. I also knew I didn’t need a descriptive word since I had already settled on “Woodworks.”
I’m not ashamed to say I tried a few of the online name generators. The library-based generators are a waste of time. They’re just randomly pulling words from a library. But an AI-based generator will use your keywords and even a business description to suggest names. Don’t worry too much about finding the right name. It’s the process of generating names that aren’t quite right that is powerful. I had a great experience with Namelix.
In the end, I decided to use my name – Matsumoto. In old Japan, the Matsumoto clan had a reputation for strength and stability. “Matsu” is pine tree and “moto” refers to the base of the tree. The clan got its name from the base of a pine tree, the source of its strength and stability. In this sense, “moto” seemed more appropriate than “matsu.” After all, I intend to use a lot more than just pine in my woodworking!
Moto Woodworks
One of the ways I got comfortable with this name is by throwing it into some online logo generators. Fiverr’s logo maker tool was very helpful. Try not to focus too much on the logo design – you’re not going to like most of them. Try to focus on seeing the name and the logo together. That’s what your customers are going to see on your website, your YouTube channel, business cards, and other marketing material. Does it look good? Does it feel right? If the answer is yes, the name resonates with you and that’s what matters!
Again, I can think of reasons the name doesn’t work and they just don’t tip the scale for me. For example, very few people will know what “Moto” means and I’m okay with it. The more curious people will ask what it means and it gives me an opportunity to tell this story. The less curious people won’t ask but I think “Moto” is short and simple, which makes for easy recall.
It resonates with me
I can’t stress this enough. You are the owner, so you are empowered to like a name for your business. You can bounce the idea off as many people as you want and sometimes it’s good to hear reactions you didn’t anticipate. But in the end, if the name resonates with you, the pros will rule and you will find ways to downplay the cons.
The name Moto Woodworks also creates an opportunity for me to use a Japanese character or kanji in the logo, but that’s a story for a different post!
