Great names set the stage for a brand experience, attract attention, get remembered, connect with an audience, and facilitate buzz, referrals, and sales. Your education 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:

Make sure you have a name that’s catchy and easy to remember and you won’t have to worry about customers.  And no one wants to be the business that causes this awkward situation:

“I really want to help my kids get a head start with school but I’m not sure what to do.”

“There is this really great app that I’ve been using with my son. He loves it and it’s helping him with his reading and math! Oh … I can’t think of what it’s called right now.”

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

You Can Achieve Greatness

You are launching a new company, and you’re struggling on how to name a business. 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 education business.

Education names typically follow the serious nature of the industry. They are straight forward and pragmatic, speaking to the benefits of the company or the unique value of the products. However, some education companies will take on a bit more sophisticated and classic naming style, while others will lean toward a bit of a modern approach. You can also expect to see powerful words related to achievement and reaching goals.

Ask yourself, What do I want people to know about my new 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.  

The Things You Need

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’re looking for a name that’s really up to date and makes us seem hip and cool.
• We’re looking for something that’s going to describe just what we do and how we can do it for you.
• We’re looking for a new name that’s strong and shows our key features and values.
• We’re looking for a name that sets us apart but also shows off just how stylish we really are as well.

A lot of new 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 15,000 naming projects, developing hundreds of education company names, we believe strongly in a more systemic and strategic approach.

Where You Need to Look

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 education 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 business name ideas 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.

The Things Your Name Really Needs

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 …

Obscure names: Can your name only be understood by a few people? Don’t go for an obscure name that only a handful of your target audience will be able to recall quickly. While a small number of your customers may appreciate an obscure name that only they understand, the rest will be confused and move on.

Where You Want Things to Go

A great education 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 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.

Put Your Best Foot Forward

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:

Once you’ve decided on a few name ideas, you’ll want to get unbiased feedback. It’s great that you and your team are excited about your business name ideas, but general audience approval is an encouraging way to know that you’ve found a name that will truly help you succeed. Positive feedback via audience testing can indicate that your name resonates well and properly aligns with your target audience. While objectively there are no “perfect” names, vetting your shortlist of business name ideas against each other with an unbiased group will provide you valuable information that will help you make a final decision with confidence.

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

Make it Work 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 find great learning domains (quickly and easily), and create strong brands by launching naming contests 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 education domains.