Help me with a business name

mushtafa

mushtafa

mushtafa

Soldato
Joined
17 May 2013
Posts
2,939
Location
West Sussex, UK
I'm a mechanic and going full time self employed later this year and looking for name ideas.

There seems to be two categories; 1. using something that contains a name or initials, or 2. something that's very vague/unrelated to the owner.

As a consumer, does a name make any difference to you? What would draw your interest?

For example; CDH Autos (my initials) or Vehicle Solutions (very impersonal).

Does the initials or name make it feel more personal and trusting, or does it just feel unimaginative and amateurish?
 
Name matters if customer refers you too a friend - I half remember name of my garage but could tell someone address and my mechanics name,
if the name was memorable it would help their business, or, like some do use the address/road name in the business name.
(previous garage was station road garage two birds with one stone)

If you are going to brand a car to advertise your garage, then using address as part of name may be useful too.
 
Some tips:

There's an advantage to having a name starting with A, because a lot of listings are alphabetical.

Shorter rather than longer. A name should not be too long.

Easy to Say

Easy to Spell

Passes the Radio Test - A good name will pass the radio test, i.e. people can remember the name from hearing it and will know how to spell it.

Alliteration - Alliteration in the name makes the name "trip off the tongue", i.e. it's nice to say it, and this helps people remember the name. Therefore, alliteration can be helpful, e.g. Magic Motors.

Uniqueness - If your company name has uniqueness, it makes you distinct and identifiable. This makes it easier for people to remember you and to search for you. Avoid bland generic names that are common. Unique names are easier to brand.

Descriptive - It's good if the name gives someone an idea of what you do.

Memorable - Helped by uniqueness, easy to spell and short etc.
 
Last edited:
I think it depends on what youre doing. I always use a small place called PJ autos for MOTs and I think just the initials are quite nice and makes it seem friendlier and trustworthy sometimes.

Though for performance or specialist I like things like DMS automotive or a RBM hampshire which i guess just means ross bmw and mini.
 
CDH Autos or similar sounds fine to me.

Maybe make it clear that you're a mechanic and not a car salesman or hire company though, as Vehicle Solutions sounds like van hire to me.

CDH X sounds professional and much more reputable than some terrible pun based name.

If you're good and build a reputation, as long as it's simple and can be easily remembered and understood, I don't think the name matters.

You're not going to be opening multiple branches or spending millions marketing your business and selling your vision, it just needs to be something simple to get the job done.
 
Last edited:
I'd say as long as it's not some terrible pun or something hard to spell you'll be ok.

I think i'd find it slightly harder to remember being CDH if i was trying to remember who i used when it came up in conversation though.

A guy i use to service my boiler at home is something like BHW or BHS or BWH or something as it's his initials i think but it doesn't spring to my mind, i have to search my emails for 'boiler service' or similar to bring up one of his emails so i can find it again. Your initials obviously mean a lot to you but they aren't memorable to anyone else.

Whereas a local VW specialist near me is simply called 'Garej Arwyn' (Garej is Garage in Welsh in and Arwyn is his first name case none of you could crack that secret code!) and that's really easy to remember as i found it a lot easier to remember the guys first name and that he has a garage.
 
Last edited:
just use first name, then Auto repairs

it is the most useful name, when they phone up or walk in they know who they are looking for and who they want to talk
 
My best mate is a mechanic. He has several places he uses for specialist tasks, like The ECU Doctor who is memeorable enough for those in the trade who know what an ECU is.
Other places are like CHD Detailing or CND Detailing, or something like that.... Initials are awful and people either struggle to remember what they are, or just wonder what the initials stand for. Even worse when they're tacked on to a generic descriptor of the role.

Sew-Sew, Mustafa Spanner ad Shaven Raspberry are good gimmicky fun-names that make people giggle and puns are almost a tradition with many small businesses, but still a bit amateurish.
First names are also good for local self-employed types, like Pete's Gardening or Hair By Paul, but again don't exude business professionalism.

If you want a name that feels personal and trusting, give that to the customers.
Give them your surname, or pick a classic one that resonates with history. Place names can work well, too - Johnsons of Leeds, Silvermans, Stringtown Supplies, Utting's, Elphick and Son, Haynes, Gravelly Bridge Motors, all examples of places that sound like they've been around for many decades (and some have, to be fair) and are well-known in their trade.
Another local example is Fenn Motor Works, who sound like they specialise in old Bentley, Jag and Rolls Royce level vehicles... which again, they do, but the name really sells it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom