Oct 18 2020 22 mins 3
I would like to thank a listener to this podcast for this episode. A few weeks ago, I received an email from Katie Young, sharing with me that she was in the planning phase of her new solo cleaning business. Katie was very excited to get started and thanked me for my support through this podcast. Then she asked a question that I have not directly answered yet. "How do I name my business? My plan is to make my cleaning business eco-friendly and primarily residential." She went on to share a few names she was brainstorming and wanted my opinion. I knew right away that my reply answer needed to be an episode so others could benefit. Thank you so much for your support and for this awesome question, Katie! Before I share my thoughts to this question in 2020, let me take you back and explain how my company name was chosen. I consider myself a pretty creative guy, but for some reason, my family members aren't too creative with names. Let me give you some examples: My daughter Chritianna named her stuffed Ram, Rammy, when she was young. My son Kenny named his stuffed Skunk, Skunky, when he was young. My son Kye named his favorite stuffed Elephant, Ellie. My wife and I named our first side businesses accordingly. We named the side Amway business, Carfagno International, the writing business, Carfagno Writing, and the cleaning business, Carfagno Cleaning. Yup, we added the type of business to our last name and whammo. The only standout in our family was my son Kolby. He was the creative one, naming his stuffed dog, Money, and his stuffed cat, Paper. He's our future millionaire. Thus, you can see that my solo cleaning business had absolutely rhyme or reason behind it. Once it was established, I didn't want to change it especially when I paid for 5,000 business cards and embroidered shirts! I do hold a position on this now. If I were to name my company again, it would not be Carfagno Cleaning. I would go with something like Indian Valley Cleaning. I've been in the cleaning industry for 15 years, but I've only been networking and consulting in the industry for 4 years. I have learned a lot by helping other companies. Are you ready for your answer, Katie? Naming your business is important, but don't make it a stumbling block to starting. Here are 7 recommendations for you to consider as you name your business: The name of the owner is common for solos. I chose this with Carfagno Cleaning. Many solo cleaner's do this as well and unfortunately many unregistered, uninsured, and unprofessional cleaners do as well. You'll see "Debbie's Cleaning" or "Sally's Cleaning". There are absolute exceptions to this, but naming your business this was has two huge cons. It communicates "cheap", "under-the-table", Aunt Sallie, and certainly a small business. When you name the business after yourself, you become the brand verses what you do and what sets you apart. The second con is that it's harder to sell a business with the owner's name in it. You may say, "but Ken, you sold yours!" That's true. I sold my client list and my systems, but I kept my name when I left NY and started in PA. There is a pro to naming this way. If you intend to keep your business small and solo for the life of your business, naming your business after you will communicate that you get Debbie or Sally every time. Many homeowners desire this. There is a third point. If you ever intend to do commercial cleaning, the more professional and the less your brand is tied to you the better. I also think that using your last name is more professional than your first when going commercial. My business name has never hurt me in the commercial world. Read the rest of this article at the Solo Cleaning School website
