Is Fictitious Better?

Journeyman T

What do guys think, is it better to do business under your actual name, or a fictitious name? Below are a couple of hypothetical examples to clarify what I mean.

Actual Names:





Fictitious Names:





Yeah, I know, they’re not the most original examples – but you get the point.

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mdshunk

Depends on what your end goal is. If you want to eventually sell your business to a larger firm or make franchise copies of your business, you'd be better off with a fictitious name. If you want to remain basically local and pretty much at the helm of the ship yourself, there's no reason why you can't use your own name in the business name. There are arguments for each method, but in the end it is up to you. You can be wildly successful either way. I think that if one were to go through the yellow pages in my area for any trade, it's about 75% real names, and 25% fictitious names. The demographics of your area or your target market may sway you in one direction or the other. My demographic is people who consume electricity, and my target market is people who are willing to pay, so it really wouldn't matter what the name is in my case.

Bone Saw

cant see it really mattering unless your name is a mouthfull like mine
back when I registered as a sp, i made the mistake of registering a herrendously long fictitious name which contains my mouthfull of a last name and I did the same when I got llc'd. don't think its really hurt me, just a real pain in the ass coming up with cards, letter head logo's etc, actually just before I got llc'd I intended to get a new domain name and "retro" register a new name, I searched hi and lo for variations on my existing name without my actuall name in it as well as acronyms and initials and came up empty and just gave up and stuck with the same name. As long as you don't have a last name like cornhole or titsworth or the like I dont think it will really matter, cause my mine sucks.

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Custom Decks & Carpentry LLC.
Chester County Custom Decks
Custom Deckbuilder Mainline
Philadelphia Deck Builder
Custom Decks & Carpentry on Facebook

MIbeachbuilder

I like the ficticious names because i think that they allow for better brand building. It is really a matter of your personal choice but we chose to go with a name we can build a brand with....and easier to develop a logo for...IMO



"Lake Michigan Beach Builders"...rather catchy and more memorable than just our names. otherwise it is just something like M&J Construction Co. or something like that.

Attached Images

 

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michigan contractor, michigan builder, southwest michigan builder, southwest michigan contractor

AtlanticWBConst

That's really the answer.

The one benefit of using your personal name in your business, is that you would generally, not have to worry too much about someone else using a name similar to yours.

Example: Our name is primarily Atlantic...... Do you know how many "Atlantic This" or "Atlantic Thats", there are in my region?
There have been a few that are a little too close to our name, that we have had to send cease and desist orders to.

The point being, that a personal name can help you in some ways too.

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- Build Well -

ruskent

I think that business names do not matter one bit. Look at the big companies out there. Ford, proctor and gamble, dell, bloomburg, WALmart, HP, but then you have microsoft, google, yahoo.

AtlanticWBConst

"Three-guys" plumbing

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- Build Well -

skyhook

One advantage to using your personal name for a business is you can take a check to the bank and cash it. Fictious names have to be deposited.

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mdshunk

There's a man using his noodle.

Somtimes, there's value in taking a check right to a certain customer's bank and cashing it too.

Tiger

I prefer not using my name in the business name and depositing business checks in the business account where they belong.

Pieplow Electric? (My lawyer's suggestion)

Tiger Electrical Contracting Co
www.TigerElectrical.com

Dave

SelfContract

Service first, recognition later.

Quality first, name second.

skyhook

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SelfContract

Sorry Skyhook, my so laziness to type. What I meant is it doesn't matter as long as your work is quality & guaranteed. Make the customer satisfied & happy FIRST, then any name will sure fly with colors LATER!

skyhook

Good point, cool.

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twestgard

Choosing a name is an important part of starting a business. While it's true that the best name in the world won't make up for crappy work, a bad name will be an albatross around your neck despite all your quality.

Six major naming mistakes I wrote down a few years ago from some source, now lost:
1. Too Vague to explain what you offer: Bob's Enterprises
2. Misleading by describing something you don't do.
3. Too Similar to another company: AAA Construction.
4. Forgettable, like A & M Enterprises
5. Hard to Spell or Pronounce: Xixchotzl Enterprises
6. Bad Emotional reactions: Dick Sweat Plumbing: eek:

jcalvin

I personally like to have a name that isn't in any way related to my personal name. I don't think that it really makes a difference only that you can seperate your name from the business. I like to tell people that I am only a worker instead of telling them that I am an owner of the company. I feel that people are a little bit easier on an employee than an owner.

I realize that my name and my company's name are similar, but I plan on changing that as soon as I legally incorperate the company.

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Cal


You hired WHO

ProWallGuy

Journeyman, when you've exhausted all your business questions, and you write a book on the "Best Practices for Starting a Contracting Business", do we all get a free copy?

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Wallpaper Hanger St. Louis
Digital Murals Installation

Footfall

Brand, Brand, Brand!

Its about getting your BRAND into people's HEADS. Whether you want your brand to be Joe & Schmo Construction or 4-Fingered-Fred Framing, you just need to get people to remember you at the right time! Be creative with the name, the logo, the design, the business card, even your look! Be distinct, be memorable, just remember to be professional.