Objectives:Distinguish between a business that produces a product, and a business that provides a service. Create a Bubble Brainstorm chart to develope business idea and create a logo for future usage.
Do Now:
Activity 1
Things to think about...
You are going to start a business. What type of business will you create You must decide from two possible options
What are you selling?
Detailed description of what you are selling?
Activity 2B: Come up with a name for your company: Read the following to help you come up with the ideal name for your business.
While there are numerous great resources to help you develop an effective company or product name, here are three tips to consider before you even get started.
1. The 5-10 rule. My attorney friend explained that great companies throughout history had five to 10 letters in their name, had at least one hard consonant, and many had a repeating letter.
Interestingly, after this enlightenment, I noticed this convention everywhere -- Mattel, Hasbro, Google, Yahoo, CitiBank, Starbucks, Ford, Honda, Apple, Exxon, Mobil, Cisco, Verizon -- the list goes on. Of course, there are exceptions, but the point was that short, simple and recognizable names were keys to success.
These days, consider that your name needs to be easily recognizable in an email subject line and fit in a 144-character tweet.
2. The icon rule. Today, more than ever, customers consume content and make purchase decisions through their mobile smart devices. It is through these small screens that business branding is happening, so your company name and logo has to fit in this space.
While you may never actually have a mobile app that requires a small square icon, consider how your company name and logo would look on one. We have become accustomed to seeing icons anyway, so this is a good place to start when developing your logo.
3. The social-media rule. In the past, the most significant barrier to establishing a name was if it was copyrighted or already registered as a business in your state. Today, your business needs to secure website domains and accounts with sites around the web, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, StumbleUpon, Reddit, etc. (there are hundreds).
This not only improves search engine optimization (SEO) organically, it also helps protect your business's online reputation. You may not use most of these accounts, but at the very least, you will own the account name before someone else does. If you have a common business name that is already taken on many sites, consider a pseudonym for your account across these secondary websites.
For instance, if your name happens to be Wild Creations, then consider a strategy to use “WildCreationsGifts,” “TheWildCreations,” or “WCGifts” as your account name. The consistent naming convention across sites will allow your customers to more easily find you.
Naming your company does require a great deal of thought and planning. Leverage the resources available online but keep in mind these three tips to make sure you have a solid framework from which to start.
1. The 5-10 rule. My attorney friend explained that great companies throughout history had five to 10 letters in their name, had at least one hard consonant, and many had a repeating letter.
Interestingly, after this enlightenment, I noticed this convention everywhere -- Mattel, Hasbro, Google, Yahoo, CitiBank, Starbucks, Ford, Honda, Apple, Exxon, Mobil, Cisco, Verizon -- the list goes on. Of course, there are exceptions, but the point was that short, simple and recognizable names were keys to success.
These days, consider that your name needs to be easily recognizable in an email subject line and fit in a 144-character tweet.
2. The icon rule. Today, more than ever, customers consume content and make purchase decisions through their mobile smart devices. It is through these small screens that business branding is happening, so your company name and logo has to fit in this space.
While you may never actually have a mobile app that requires a small square icon, consider how your company name and logo would look on one. We have become accustomed to seeing icons anyway, so this is a good place to start when developing your logo.
3. The social-media rule. In the past, the most significant barrier to establishing a name was if it was copyrighted or already registered as a business in your state. Today, your business needs to secure website domains and accounts with sites around the web, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, StumbleUpon, Reddit, etc. (there are hundreds).
This not only improves search engine optimization (SEO) organically, it also helps protect your business's online reputation. You may not use most of these accounts, but at the very least, you will own the account name before someone else does. If you have a common business name that is already taken on many sites, consider a pseudonym for your account across these secondary websites.
For instance, if your name happens to be Wild Creations, then consider a strategy to use “WildCreationsGifts,” “TheWildCreations,” or “WCGifts” as your account name. The consistent naming convention across sites will allow your customers to more easily find you.
Naming your company does require a great deal of thought and planning. Leverage the resources available online but keep in mind these three tips to make sure you have a solid framework from which to start.