Great names preframe a brand experience, attract attention, get remembered, connect with an audience, and facilitate buzz, referrals, and sales. Your cannabis business name can be a true communication asset, helping you reach key business goals – and we’re not just talking about abstract goals like the development of brand recognition over time:

When the owners of a cannabis business use a great name, they are likely to have their business shared from one customer to the next than their competitors who are using a flat, uninteresting names. And no one wants to be the business that causes this awkward situation:

And no one wants to be the business that causes this awkward situation:

“I’m looking for a place to get medical marijuana, do you know of one?”

“I think there was a place opening up nearby, but I don’t remember what it is called.”

With this in mind, follow these guidelines to develop your owner amazing cannabis business name ideas and finding a great name that will help you succeed:   

Always Consider Where You’re Going

You are launching a new cannabis business, and you’re struggling to find the right name. The first step is to hone the creative process. Start by thinking about the brand that you’re trying to build, and determine some core concepts essential to the success of your cannabis business.

The emerging cannabis industry has yet to solidify any hard and fast branding standards. Some companies work to project a very professional and reliable brand to remove themselves from some of the negative images that people have. Other companies move in a very customer focused direct with brand names that will appeal and grab attention. Still some companies use the standard language and personas to build upon the already existing language and perceptions.

Ask yourself, What do I want people to know about my cannabis business immediately?

Here are some common answers:

• • It is High-end

• • It is Modern

• • It is Unique

• It is Fun

Deciding which direction works best for your company will give you a sharp focus and help you develop a name (and a brand) that will support your success.  

Create What You Know

Now that you’ve decided on a central direction, create a one or two sentence project statement to keep your naming efforts laser focused. Here are some examples:

• • We want something that sounds modern and bold and can really showcase our key ideas like health and wellness.

• • We want something that’s descriptive enough that everyone knows what we’re here for and really shows how customer-friendly we are.

• • We want a name that showcases our value amongst the other options and especially against the more established brands.

• We want a name that shows how cutting edge.

A lot of cannabis businesses dive into their naming project head first without taking the appropriate time to set the stage for success, hoping that “creativity” and “inspiration” will swoop in and provide an amazing outcome. After 30,000 naming projects, and developing hundreds of cannabis company names, we believe strongly in a more systemic and strategic approach. Still struggling to think of that perfect name? Try utilizing a unique business name generator to help your creativity flow. 

Learn What Drives You

Now it’s time to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard … stylus to tablet). However you like to work, it’s time to brainstorm ideas.

Don’t censor yourself when brainstorming – There is no wrong answer when brainstorming. Just let the ideas flow. Sometimes a “bad” ideas will inspire a “great” ideas. When you’re developing name ideas, one thought leads to the next, and censoring your ideas will stop this amazing creative flow. And don’t forget to have fun.

Develop an Inspiration Deck – You can find inspiration for your cannabis business name ideas in so many places. Take a drive around town writing down your favorite names that you find, get a list of successful brands across any industry you can image using your go-to search engine, or explore winning weed company names from crowdsourced branding contests. Building a list of inspiration is a well respected copywriting technique, and it will certainly help you develop great business name ideas as well.

Things You Need to Know

From a technical naming standpoint there are some important principles that you want to keep in mind:

Is it easy to say? Unfortunately, you may have to pass on a meaningful name if it’s difficult to say. For example, the iae vowel construct of the Latin word patriae (country) could cause much confusion if used in a business name.

Is it easy to hear? Test your name by calling a friend and saying, “I’m thinking about [insert name] as the name of my business. What do you think?” If there is a long pause or the reply is “What’s the name again?” You might have an issue.

Is it easy to spell? Simple misspellings such as Lyft, Flickr, Xero can work really well for a brand. But names that are very hard to spell will hinder your marketing and communication efforts.

Is it appealing?  Is your name pleasant to see and hear? Many times, in a quest to be unique or edgy, companies will select a name that lacks appeal with the target market. Consumers should like how your name looks and sounds. If they do, it’s much more likely that they’ll want to learn more about your business and talk to friends about your brand.

Also remember to avoid …

Neutral names: Is your name too safe or too boring? While you don’t want to choose an obscure or difficult name, you also don’t want to overcorrect and select a name that simply doesn’t excite consumers. A dull name means that you won’t stand out in a sea of competitors, putting you at a disadvantage from the start.

Think About What You’re Looking For

A great cannabis business name will always be less appealing than your competition’s mediocre brand. It’s very hard to look at a list of names and get excited about them. One, two, or three words on a page can often feel flat.

The ability to bring a cannabis business to life in your mind is critical to the naming process. Imagine the story. Visualize the logo. See it on your products and packaging. Without envisioning your brand, you’ll have trouble getting behind any of the business name ideas that you’ve generated. 

Do the Hard Stuff

Developing business name ideas is only the beginning of the process. There are four important name validation steps that you’ll definitely want to complete before deciding on your business name:

Running into legal issues after finally deciding on a business name can be devastating to your business. In order to reduce your risk of run-ins with another company’s legal teams or issues with Trademark filing, it is important to check for Trademark Risk before making a final decision on your name. consider that you may be infringing on someone else’s trademark. Depending on your experience with the Trademark process, you can perform this due diligence of your own. However, it’s often best, especially when the consequence could be a receiving a cease-and-desist letter, to have your potential business name ideas checked out by a licensed professionals.

Learn the three additional critical validation steps – discover how to pick a business name.

It’s All For You

Follow this tested process to create a business name that will become a true asset for years to come. Take the time to set the foundation for your project, develop great ideas, and validate there usability – and you’ll find a name that will attract attention, make connections, get remembered, and increase your bottom line.

Atom is a one-of-a-kind platform where entrepreneurs and marketers get Cannabis Business Names (quickly and easily), create strong brands, and grow faster by launch a naming contest to engage hundreds of naming experts as you’re guided through our agency-level naming process or explore our hand-picked collection of premium names available for immediate purchase.

View our full list of premium domains for sale.