Help me with a business name

The guy is used to use was in my phone as ‘garage man’, his official business name was ‘3 initials autos’, I only new the first one stood for Dave.
 
CDH itself, anywhere in title, might be a bad choice gives the sound seedy - so maybe surname/forename alone are better.
 
mushtafa said:
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?
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Congrats on going fully self employed.

My opinion of this is that a name is a very important part of your business. Something catchy but not cheesy, with a bespoked designed logo is just so much more professional.

Just being another CDH Autos just puts you in the long list of forgettable names of garages. This sort of garage, in my head, is going to be a unit on an industrial estate, with a mechanic covered in oil with an untidy workshop with engines and gearboxes lying around the floor.

There is a *lot* of people out there who are really intimidated when talking to a mechanic because they feel vulnerable because they have no idea what a mechanic is talking about and are worried they're going to be ripped off. Having a website and an regularly updated Instagram page, for me, is the next level of professional garage and if very well received particularly by younger people. I love it if it go to a garage and find they've got an Instagram page and even a very simple website. It means I can have a look at what the garage is about, without having to "put myself out there" and drive up to it - which lots of people won't do. It's easy and free to do as an added bonus. I've always thought that a lot of mechanics are good at working on cars, but sucky at running businesses or marketing themselves.

Also if you do go for initials, 12 months after someone has had their car serviced with you and they're looking to get it done again and they're trying to remember your garage name, they're going to ask themselves "Errr was it CDH? DHC? DCD? Oh I can't remember I'll just Google to see if there is a garage nearby who can do it" and they might well go elsewhere.

There is obviously a point when you can over analyse, but you're entering a highly competitive market and a name is something which can set you aside from the sea of other unimaginative garage names run by 50 year old mechanics who don't understand "compooters" or the internet.

Maybe look at big YouTube channel names which are catchy? Things like"

"All the Gear"
"Top Dead Center"
"AutoAlex"
Richard Hammond's garage "The Smallest Cog"

Whatever you go for - just promise me when you set up your business email address you don't have "[email protected]" or something. I always think this looks so cheap, especially when people have their own domain named websites listed next to it, just use your bespoked domain named email address!
 
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Its hard because it depends on your target audience.

Too generic sounding like "Vehicle Solutions" and people assume large garage with large overheads employing monkeys on peanuts..
Too cheesy and it reminds me of someone incompetent playing at it

I don't mind initials, but followed by 'Motor Services' or 'Auto Specialist' , but take on board that you can struggle to stand out..

So just a catchy name followed by those, i.e. "Forza Motor Services' or 'Forza Auto Specialists'...

Definitely not "Bag O Spannerz"..
 
Thanks for all the advise!
I don't want to use a road name or location as the unit is only rented. It won't make any sense if I have to move in 5 years.
I'm certainly thinking of moving away from the initials now, just need to think of something else!
I think I'm good at the online website/email/social media bits, just need to sort this name out followed by a logo design.
 
The name doesn't really bother me, but if you specialise in a certain car/engine, or lean more towards something like jap or American cars, something in the name or logo to give that away will make me look there first.
 
Naming a business is always tricky. Using your name and initials really makes it personal to you but can be forgetful unless it is catchy, place names can tie you to your current location too much and just a description of what you are doing can be very bland but more whimsical names may not be clear enough e.g motofix, autorep but seem popular. There are a lot of names starting with A as well to be at the start of the phone book like Ability Auto Centre, Autotyres etc

C(harlie’s)Car Care Centre and 4 more c’s Customer Focus Consistency Convenience, and Communication

The local mechanics here are usually the surname followed my motors or even just the initials and surname. The one where I have had my mots recently is initials followed by autos, I can never remember it but I can find it on the map and know the bosses name to look at. Reputation and reliability I think goes a lot further than a particular name.
 
both the garages i use regularly have the presumably initials of a person in their name (KJL motors and BC Cars for instance)

the main thing is to make it something that when it is googled it is likely to be a top hit. there is nothing worse (ok minor exaggeration) than googling for details of a company and the top page of hits being irrelevant to what you want.
 
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If you're running from a unit rather than mobile, do something which makes your unit stand out. There's one near here simply called "The Garage" and all their branding is bright pink. On FB whenever someone asks for a mechanic there's a list of tagged initial mobile names or some of the established ones, but when someone says "the pink one up by xxx" they've told the person exactly where to find it and what to look for instead of a vague recommendation.
 
Steeps said:
If you're running from a unit rather than mobile, do something which makes your unit stand out. There's one near here simply called "The Garage" and all their branding is bright pink. On FB whenever someone asks for a mechanic there's a list of tagged initial mobile names or some of the established ones, but when someone says "the pink one up by xxx" they've told the person exactly where to find it and what to look for instead of a vague recommendation.
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The Garage imo is an awful name if you want to be discoverable by people outside your current list..

the stand out colour of your building or what ever is fair enough, but "the garage" is way too generic a name imo if you want internet users to find you
 
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