Business names??

[Jill Marie Welsh]

GAZZAGRAFFIX
(lisa)

[Robert Lambie]

Hi mate
Don’t take this wrong, please. 😀
But I wouldn’t go for any of them. I don’t mean that bad.. Honestly.
Names are a big step. They will follow you for many years if you are very successful or, if only working week to week..
So “sticky johnnies sticker shed” isn’t going to look good on the rear of your t-shirt when in 3 years time you walk into an office block with tons of suits staring at you sipping their coffee!
It may not be the route you want to go.. Offices, corporate buildings etc but consider where you will be a few years from now, if all goes well.
Remember, “Joe public” doesn’t know what vinyl is! I wouldn’t include this in the name…

This is probably just me mate. But the name is a big bog one to consider.

gazzagrafix? hmmm 😉 😆 😆 😆

[Gazza]

Hey Rob, not taking anything wrong at all mate, just need an honest opinion (even if it is biased 😀 ) but i did think of Gazzagraffix before and whilst it does have a “backstreet” ring to it, i still don’t know………anyone else?? Gaz

[Nigel Fraser]

Gazza,

I think Robs got a really valid point mate, you need to think for the future more where you want to be in the scheme of things. Ive got a mate who runs a graphics stall on a market and he’s happy staying that way, but if you want to be involved in more upmarket jobs you need to have a bit more image/credibility in my opinion.
When I started up I was called “Sign4it” and it seemed like a good idea at the time until I realised just how many joe publics thought that “it” stood for information technology ! It’s taken quite a while for people to accept a name change and obviously you’d be better to not have that kind of interuption in your business growth.
Sorry, not being much help here am I? All I’m saying is choose carfully, keep it short and look to the future.

Nigel

[Dave Bruce]

How about

G graphics, where the G is very big and the graphics (small)sits on the horizontal line of the capital G.

Sorry I don’t know how to put it on here as the actual graphic (care to tell me anyone) 😳

Dave

[Andrew Ward]

Here, i have a name for you….

Bubbles 😎

or

Bodgeit & Legit Signs

Hope this helps 😉

[Dave Bruce]

Here goes

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Attachments:

ggraphics.ai

[Dave Bruce]

ummmm 😥
doesn’t seem to work, maybe it is too late
(sleep)

[Paul Goodwin]

What i do Dave is upload my pictures to my webspace (most isp’s give u 10meg upwards ) and then display it as

That works for me

[John Childs]

Gazza…

I can only echo what Rob and others say.

My company name was chosen in a hurry, with little or no thought, and whilst it was acceptable for a time it soon became too parochial. It contains the name of our nearest town when we are looking to do work for national companies.

[Paul Goodwin]

John i know i’m relativley new to all this , but when i chose my company name thats why i didn’t use the “Town” name, i used a derivative (Rob check my spelling pls 🙂 ) of it, so instead of Aylesbury Signs & Grafix, (I live in Aylesbury Vale, which is buckinghamshires county district council. ) I chose Vale Signs & Grafix to encompase the whole area and beyond.

Only time will tell if i got it right 😕

[Kevin.Beck]

I would also choose a name that if you decided to diverse into something else, it would still be ok.

For instance, when we started out, we just did tee shirt screen printing. So the logical name was …………. Screen Prints.

Ok for just screen printing, but when we added embroidery/signage/promotional items to services, it didn`t quite go. So when we went Ltd, we opted to change the name as well, not to drastic, we removed the screen prints and added promotions.

just my 2 penith

[Simon Clayton]

Are they off the shelf names ? they seam to be like ones that you get from an ISP…. www. wotsigns.co.uk, if you see my point.
I would take a long hard think, as it will be with you for a long time.

Simon

[Gazza]

Thanks for the info/feedback folks, i think i have opened a can or two here. Simon, with regards to the names, i sat and wrote down around 50 names and checked them with an ISP and the bulk of them were already chosen but those i listed weren’t. I have a load more but i don’t want to take up all your time with this as i am sure you have a lot more to think about than my business name but all ideas are welcome and will be considered. The one that is “sticking” seems to be GRaphix, GR being my initials in caps and the rest in smaller print but this is one of the many things i need to sort in the next few weeks. I am not going to rush into this and will consider many options before starting my business. Cheers, Gaz

[Lorraine Buchan]

Gazza,

Give us a little more info on what you looking to do in your business, Just vinyl signs or more?

Tell us a bit about your self and the place you live?

Are you considering going for a specific market or anything and everything.

Are you working from home or a shop/unit?

Where do you want your business to be in 10 years time?

[Gazza]

Hi Lorraine, well, where do i start?. I am 38, Scots born and live in Grimsby at the moment. I have varied interests such as art, line drawing, military history, transport and professional modelmaking. I have various sources of income at the moment from modelmaking, mouldmaking & casting and pewter jewellery & badge making and I work weekends as an HGV driver for a guaranteed income as some weeks can be quiet. I have always wanted to do signs but never had the cash for the initial outlay, cutter, vinyl etc and didn’t have the room either. Now i have both, i want to start designing and making signs, banners etc. and if this takes off i would be interested in larger more interesting projects, specifically in the transport side of things. 10 years from now i want to be taking it easy, as i think i have led a hard life for the last 20! (don’t we all i hear everyone say!) but i really only look two to three years ahead and work on that. I have had a Car spray shop, a Model shop, a tropical fish shop, my own trucking biz, a diving school and lately the model & jewellery making so have a good business head. Most of the above businesses have been sold on and are now doing well, the model shop i had to close as i moved with my then partner and lost a fortune into the bargain, but thats another story. So onto signs it is, and looking forward to it!. Gaz

[Dave Bruce]

WOW Gazza that’s some work history! I’ve done a few different things in my time too but kept away from the ‘shop’ business ideas due to the rent/rate headache.

I have done mouldmaking in the past too Windsurfer/boat and laytex(not for wearing). I have been really interested in learning the techniques of pewter jewellery etc making as I live in a tourist area resulting in high sales of crafts. Any chance of swapping knowledge? Do you need much equipment etc?

cheers

Dave

[Gazza]

Hi Dave, the jewellery making is quite easy, most of what i make is moulds and castings for local jewellers, i don’t do my own stuff due to lack of time. I have an hydraulic vulcanising press which i put the mould box in containing the two halves of the mould, in between which are sandwiched the masters for production. Just heat the box up, apply the 4-5 tons pressure, leave at gas mark 6 for an hour and we have a mould!. Cut the guide channels for the metal into the mould, drop the mould in the spinner and pour the pewter and we have anything between 4 to 24 pieces of jewellery. It is an easy job to do, the initial outlay set me back around 2K but i have added to it and now it has a value of around 4K. And the good thing is it is all mine!, bought less than 6 months ago and it has paid for itself already! I hope my sign business can do this! (cheesy) If you fancy giving this a go i can offer you help and advice no problem!. Cheers, Gaz.

[kev hoy graphics]

I agree with the comments made.
The name will reflect on your company for years to come.
I would steer away from cheerful rhyming names, I feel it can cheapen the company image. Having said that, it is a difficult thing to come up with. The good ones are normally always taken.
🙄

[john6512]

A lot can depend on the corporate branding and image you are trying to portray and the clients you are trying to reach. You can go along the “arty” route of Design Group which could be sean as a large corporate style identity which would appeal to larger clients but could scare off one-man bands who would see the a perceived high cost (rightly or wrongly!) or go along the route of “AB Sign & Co” or “John’s Signs” which would give a more low key, small one man band image – which in some instances would keep you out of the corporate arena.

I agree with comments echoed here, the name becomes the ethos of your company and unless you rebrand (an expensive excersise) one you need to get right.

Its also worth checking the companies house website at http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/info to check whether your chosed name has already been registered so you cannot be found to be allegdly trading one someone else’s name! You could also buy the limited company (£50ish) to stop anyo ne else using your name – even if you trade as a sole trader – holding a dormant company onyl costs £15 a year. Also make sure the web address is available also for future use

Just my thoughts

John