In this resource, more than 200 consultants share the story of how they named their firm — and what, if anything, they’d do differently with hindsight.
Here are their responses, grouped by the overall categories they fall into:
Other approaches to naming a consulting firm
4th floor Consulting ApS
Website: 4thfloorconsulting.cc
Founder: Ane Line Christensen (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I live on the 4th floor, and am lucky to have a lovely balcony, which I adore. I occasionally Instagram pictures of my greenery using #4thfloorgardening, which had unexpected organic reach. So choosing the name 4th floor consulting for my one-woman business was easy. From the beginning, I knew I didn’t want to use my own name; it is uncreative and ordinary: “Christensen Consulting” — I don’t think so! Once the idea came to me, it was an easy choice.
Focus of the firm:
Management consulting/ operational implementation. I am Danish and work mostly in Scandinavia, but Europe is my reach. Mostly Manufacturing and Supply Chain LEAN and OPEX; I mostly work as a sub-contractor for smaller consultancies, so my company name is mostly for myself and legalities.
Looking back on the decision:
I am happy with my name. And I love my logo that a graphic designer made for me!
Advice for others:
Don’t make promises you can’t keep! I have seen many companies with pretentious names and wild promises of deliveries that would be far-fetched even for large outfits. Using your own name is fine, but if your name contains strange characters like Æ Ø Å as is common here, do find something more practical.
My expertise is in process improvement and process efficiency. Most of my clients want their processes to go faster — i.e. they want to accelerate them. Accelero is close to accelerate.
Focus of the firm:
Any industry. Any geographic area, although I have limited experience outside the US. If you need to improve a business process we can do it.
Looking back on the decision:
I am happy with the name.
Adventus means “To Arrive” in Latin, and forms the foundation for the word, Adventure. A business adventure involves vision, prudence, fortitude, collaboration and risk taking to successfully meet its goals. In my experience, groups of people and organizations go on an adventure each year trying to meet their goals. By understanding the learning process that takes place during an adventure, I connect better with current and prospective clients to help them enjoy and achieve their goals.
Focus of the firm:
We help rapidly growing companies harness supplier value. Approximately 60-70% of a company’s annual revenue is spent on purchased goods and services from raw material to marketing services and everything in between. How a company manages and builds supplier relationships directly impacts its future profitability and risk profile.
Companies that rapidly grow through new product introduction or a merger, may be challenged to manage their organization, policies, processes and systems from sourcing to payment activities. We work with companies with annual revenue under $3B all the way to $0 in the US.
Looking back on the decision:
I am happy with the name.
Advice for others:
Think about how your name will touch future clients in 3-5 years who don’t know you yet but will be intrigued to learn more just hearing your firm’s name.
Akili means “Intelligence” in Swahili, one of my native languages. An appropriate name for the intellectual horsepower needed in the advisory services that I provide.
Focus of the firm:
Economic consulting, particularly in network industries (transportation, energy) and in litigation support.
Looking back on the decision:
I am happy with the name.
The company name needed to meet the following requirements:
- Unique — no other company has that name, handles for social networks that I cared about (LinkedIn) had it available, the .com domain needed to be available, would be easy to brand and get to the top of search engine results when typing the company name in.
- Start with the letter A so it shows up first alphabetically — I’ve often picked vendors because it was the first one in the list.
- Trademarkable — I trademarked my company name because I intended for it to last for decades.
- Phone number was available — 929-5-ALFIZO is my business phone number.
- Easy to spell.
- Doesn’t sound like a word with a bad connotation or denotation; and does not conjure any bad images, etc.
Focus of the firm:
Information security strategy.
Looking back on the decision:
I would have chosen the same name.
Advice for others:
Spend time thinking of a good name. You’ll have it on everything from business cards to promotional goods. Also, don’t name your company something that it can grow out of (e.g., your name, a specific geographic location). You won’t want to change your name after your clients know it, and if your company name limits itself, you will limit your client base. For example, if you use your name in your company name, most clients will expect you to do the work, meaning you may not be able to subcontract. If you tie your company name to your city, for example, clients outside of your city won’t call you.
I worked with a little communication agency in order to brainstorm. Requirements were clear:
- A name that could become a trademark (then unique or quite unique for consulting industry).
- Aname that is meaningful for the type of clients we are focusing on.
Finally, after one month and three iterations, we come with “Altavo”:
- Altavo => “Alta” refers to “high” in latin (also “alto” in Italian)
- Altavo => “avo” reminds “evolution” or “transformation”
- Altavo => “Alta-voce” (in italian) refers to “aloud” or “expressing opinion loudly”
So, the symbolic meaning behind “Altavo Partners” name is the following: a consulting boutique, working on high level transformation projects, by professionals who are not afraid to express their opinions!
Focus of the firm:
“Altavo Partners” has been established in Paris (France) in late November 2021. As a consulting boutique, its main focus is serving financial services (retail & corporate banking, leasing, factoring, trade finance, etc.) and fintechs (neobanks, innovative crossborder transfer services, etc.). Assignments are mainly related to strategy and management consulting, especially around collaboration projects between traditional and innovative companies in the financial services industry.
Looking back on the decision:
I think that I made the right choice. Sharing the process with a (little) communication agency helped me to go as far as possible in the brainstorming process. Immediately after finding the “Altavo” name, I registered it as a trademark (TM) and launched the logo and the PowerPoint template build by the same agency.
Advice for others:
Do not work solo, search for a name with a communication professional to unsure doing a meaningful choice for your clients. Test the name in Google, search for the name in web domains, verify unicity in addition to the meaningfulness. Register the company name as a trademark, start small, think big, think network labelling, think about franchise.
I actually owe the name of my company to a very clever friend who astutely pointed out that the first two initials of my first and maiden names (Alison Torrillo) formed the word ALTO, which is also my voice part. I have been a vocalist for many years and everything I do in my consulting practice is based on helping people make harmonious connections. In fact, my performing arts background gave me the confidence to go out on my own.
Discovering my identity as an alto vocalist and rediscovering myself as an entrepreneur are so closely tied to one another, and the knowledge that my voice can make a difference has been truly inspirational. As a singer and performer, you cannot be successful without adopting a growth mindset — there is always something to learn, some way to improve — and this has been the driving force behind Alto Solutions.
Just as voices come together in a specific musical pattern to create an ear-pleasing chord, individuals and organizations need the right relationships to achieve harmony and success in a dynamic environment. I am also of Italian descent and in Italian, “Alto” means “high” which translates to my clients that Alto Solutions is their trusted partner for achieving their highest results.
Focus of the firm:
Alto Solutions helps organizations throughout the world of all types – from corporate to nonprofit to government to associations to education – manage through change, improve their leadership, and build strong teams. We provide consulting in organizational change, communications, and leadership, as well as facilitation, coaching and training in a way that is tailored to each client’s specific needs. Areas of expertise include:
- Consultative Facilitation and Event Design/Delivery
- Focus Group Facilitation and Survey Development/Action Planning
- Employee Engagement, Training, and Team Building
- Organizational Change Management
- Program and Client Relationship Management
- Strategic Planning and Mission/Vision Facilitation
- Leadership and Stakeholder Alignment
- Leadership and Career Coaching
- Communications Strategy and Planning
Looking back on the decision:
100% I would keep the name. In fact, because of my name and connection to the performing arts, I was featured in Adventures in Syncopation’s “Perfect Pitch.“
Amaranth Brose
Website: amaranthbrose.com
Founder: Hüseyin Karagül (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
Amaranth stands for the longlasting nature of the business while Brose is a short of the English version of my name surname (Blackrose).
Focus of the firm:
Management Consulting focusing Risk and Analytics needs of Financial and Non-Financial Institutions.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes of course. The name is intentionally chosen and I would never change it.
Advice for others:
I think the use of a consistent email and Website is very important. A very crucial thing is whether that domain reflects something about the company.
I am a former Army Medical Service Corps officer. My call sign was Angel Six. In Army radio nomenclature, angel stands for medic (or medical help) and six for leader (in charge). I thought it was a great simile to my current profession as an independent management consultant specializing in the Health and Life Sciences space.
Focus of the firm:
Health and Life Sciences management consulting in the North East region, specializing in Strategy and Operations, Program Management, and Business Development.
Looking back on the decision:
I love the name and haven’t seen anything like it elsewhere.
Advice for others:
Find something personal that reflects who you are and/or what you want your company to represent. It might be about something in your past like mine, or a lesson you learned, or something you found on a trip, or a story you read. I am absolutely floored by the number of companies that create names (the very thing that represents who you are) that are awful and boring. As an example, the contrast between Microsoft and Apple is illuminating. One is boring yet iconic; the other is inspired and iconic.
Annona Enterprises, LLC
Website: annonaenterprises.com
Founder: Soyini Coke (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2004
Story behind the name:
I wanted something that would stand the test of time and reflect some personality without being tied to me or my name. I also wanted something that could evolve over time and have multiple lines of business. I knew that I my practice would always serve businesses and business leaders, helping them grow and improve. So, I did some research on Roman mythology looking to see if there was a goddess of business. And, guess what? There is. Her name is Annona. She rules the annual crops; ships would put her on their masthead to guide them on their way. She would also blessing them as they came to shore to sell their wares. After 15+ years, my company’s name is still Annona Enterprises.
Focus of the firm:
Historically about strategic advisory to mid-sized businesses and hospitals. Pivoting towards conscious capitalism. Pivoting is really hard!
Advice for others:
If you want your business to be about you, use your name. If you want it be about something bigger than you, use something bigger than you.
Our company name is not only original. We chose it also because it is an apparently complex term, that can be interpreted by shifting one’s perspective. If you read it from right to left, you get OPERA, a latin word that can be translated as work, action, organization. Changing perspectives allows a word to become action. And this is one of the characteristic traits of our peculiar approach with people and companies. The word AREPO is probably of Celtic origin, and it is contained in the enigmatic “Sator square.”
Focus of the firm:
1. Soft side of organizational design (people, values, change, purpose).
2. Coaching.
Aspiri Consulting, Inc.
Website: aspiriconsulting.com
Founder: Troy Edelen (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2007
Story behind the name:
Friends had recently started a consulting firm and chose a foreign language word that:
1) Had meaning for their business,
2) Was unique, and
3) They could own the URL.
I liked their result and followed the same path. I chose “Aspiri” (Italian) to aspire. “Aspiri Consulting delivers your business aspirations.” What I got right:
- I could own the URL for AspiriConsulting.com.
- It is short, easy to remember, and could be used in an email address.
- Starts with the letter “A” so in alphabetical listings it is near the top.
- Worked with a tag line that was focused on my clients, not my firm.
Focus of the firm:
We drive successful business transformations by combining:
1) Custom Solution Development
2) Disciplined Program Management,
3) Effective Change Management
Most of our clients have been financial services companies (although have worked in Retail and Pharmaceuticals) across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Looking back on the decision:
What I didn’t get right:
- Most everyone mispronounces Aspiri (As-pir-i and not A-spir-i).
- Too vague and doesn’t really convey what I do or how I do it.
- As a foreign language word, most of my clients have a hard time remembering it.
Advice for others:
Have fun with it but don’t over-stress on naming your firm. I doubt many of my repeat clients over the past 20 years could even tell you the name of my company. They hire me because of the value I deliver, not because my company name was better or more distinctive than any other.
Athray Group LLC
Website: athraygroup.com
Founder: Pete Tunnicliffe (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2011
Story behind the name:
I wanted a name that was different, didn’t include my name, didn’t pigeon hole the firm to a certain domain of work, started with the letter A and meant something. I created a list of words, in English, that conveyed different attributes that I wanted to have associated with the firm name. I then looked up alternative spellings, foreign words, etc to find something that appealed to me. Change is one of the words I associated with my practice. Athraigh means change in Irish. I simplified the spelling to Athray, verified it was an available domain name, and ran with it.
Focus of the firm:
Athray Group partners with clients to create change in organizations through operational excellence and continuous improvement with a particular focus on lean and Theory of Constraints.
Looking back on the decision:
I’m very happy with the name. I sometimes wish I had kept the Irish spelling but, overall, I wouldn’t change anything.
Advice for others:
A lot of factors go into selecting a name. Pick something you like and try it out with friends and family and get some feedback before you make a commitment. I definitely like having my domain name for my email. I think it helps with a professional image with potential clients.
Behind the Graph, LLC
Website: behindthegraph.com
Founder: Dawn Stith (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
I decided to pursue a certificate in global affairs from New York University, School of Professional Studies, Center for Global Affairs during the COVID-19 pandemic. During a pre-class conversation with my Political Economy instructor, Ed Price, I told him that while I valued the numerical analysis that economists engage in, I was particularly interested in the lives of the people behind the graph, those who are marginalized and may lack opportunity. In that moment, I said, that is what I will name my consultancy, and I did.
Focus of the firm:
As a consulting professional with experience in engineering, law and global affairs, I am interested in economic development in Africa as well as creating access and opportunity for underrepresented people in organizations that engage globally. I advise organizations on challenges impeding forward momentum from their current state to an informed future state that includes innovative ideas from everyone. My services include consulting, creative programming and thought leadership.
Looking back on the decision:
Probably would choose the same. This is my second time identifying a name that embodies my mission.
Advice for others:
Naming a practice is important, but not more important than showing up and communicating your value. With the pandemic and the fluidity of the market generating uncertainty, it may take more time than one may expect.
Bright Intervals Limited
Website: brightintervals.co.uk
Founder: Lester Mak (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2011
Story behind the name:
When I turned independent in 2011, my wife and I were thinking of suitable names for my company. With a Chinese background and having had the pleasure of naming our first son the year before, we were all too aware of how a name could be perceived, particularly in its auspiciousness. (Not to mention I have heard of consulting companies whose names turned out to be expletives in other languages).
We racked our brains and didn’t really come with anything good immediately. The name had to convey optimism, that the consulting company would bring good prospects to the client, and also sound good in Chinese (in the very slim chance that I ever worked with a Chinese client). We failed to come up with anything inspiring for a while.
Then I remembered an old website I had created many years before. Before the days of Flickr, Facebook or Instagram, I had built a website to show off some of my own hobby photos. It was called Bright Intervals. I suggested the name to my wife and she loved the idea. And so with the bright ideas that the company brings along when clients might have a gloomy time, Bright Intervals was born.
Focus of the firm:
Strategy Consulting and Commercial Due Diligence in multiple sectors including healthcare, retail and telecommunications, based in Europe.
Brightworks Consulting
Website: brightworksconsulting.com
Founder: Christine Gannon (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2007
Story behind the name:
When we began planning for the company, I sat down to outline my goals, objectives, and values surrounding what kind of culture would embody excellence. I also knew that in the ocean of consulting companies, we wanted ours to stand out because of integrity and to shine a light of doing good work in public and private sectors. We wanted our company to be known for our work, our integrity and intelligence. Brightworks was officially born out of this.
Focus of the firm:
Cross sector and industry, North and South America. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion solutions.
Looking back on the decision:
I am happy with the name.
Advice for others:
Consider what you want your organization to stand for — what do you want to be known for. Craft your values and mission to support a name that amplifies this.
I must admit I was struggling to get with a name. Since the focus is on operational improvement across sector I want to find a name that was broad enough and not as specific as OPEX or Lean or similar. Hence thought that Transformation was broad enough to make the point around the specialist and at same time be cross sector. Clearly CF is for my initials.
Focus of the firm:
Functional focus is Transformation. Industry is cross-industry with a major on Service Industry (FS, Banking, Insurance, etc). Geographical focus is open and so far main work has been in Europe (25%) and UK (75%).
Looking back on the decision:
Yes probably would ended up with the same. Many consulting options had the names already taken when I had to set up the company.
Advice for others:
You must feel that the name reflects who you are/want to achieve/focus on. It must blend with you.
For me, I knew I wanted to have a single brand, both for my consulting and ALL my other crazy inventions and startups. I had been toying with names, I really liked the idea of having Innovation in whatever name I chose. Then one day I was thinking about ‘General Motors’ and the old joke about ‘I knew them when they were Major Motors.’ Thought about General Innovation, and also maybe Chief Auto Parts. Thought of Chief Innovation Officer, but truncating the Officer.
Also, did a search for (1) URL and (2) Trademarks. Picked up URL for 15 bucks. Trademark search looked ‘okay’ but not a slam dunk. Did my own filing (I’ve done 7 now, won 4) and after a little bit of back and forth with the USPTO, I won the Trademark (word mark actually) for Chief Innovation in the US.
I think most people should decide this single brand for ALL I might do in future, or just a consulting brand. Made Dad change his brand from EJM & Associations to EJM International when I pointed out he had no Associates, was single shingle. And what happened was I bought him a marble desk set with the new name on it. He liked it, changed the name.
Focus of the firm:
Operations, Supply Chain and Strategy — plus crazy innovation work when it rarely comes to me!
Looking back on the decision:
Maybe differently I’d have a separate Consulting brand with Chief Innovation being main company. I got a cool logo via 99Designs, and am happy with it. Chief Innovation isn’t very ‘Supply Chainey’ nor Consultantey, but it’s a cool name and professional sounding. Easy to remember and also own the URL.
Advice for others:
Names are tricky. If it has your name, it screams ‘just me’. Don’t make it too long and also do the URL and Trademark searches jointly. Had a buddy name his company, use it for close to a year, then have someone with a similar name (who he worked with at Gartner) call him up and ‘yeah, Jason, uhm our company kind of has a similar name. And we have a Trademark. Can we ask you to change it (or our lawyers can ask you next).’ Changed it, but showed that it’s better to prepare.
CHRO Solutions
Website: chrosolutions-us.com
Founder: Eric Torigian (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2016
Story behind the name:
My goal was to provide fractional HR services to companies; I wanted to give all companies access to strategic HR regardless of their size (and HR budget). I also believe very strongly in the solutions selling methodology and so CHRO Solutions was born.
Focus of the firm:
We are industry agnostic and provide fractional HR services to all size companies.
Looking back on the decision:
I would have started to teach on social media earlier. My biggest learning running the practice is that people do not understand the scale of impact a good HR team can have on the organization and I have to teach/show them that value first.
Advice for others:
Don’t obsess too much over a name — a rose by any other name remains as sweet. Focus on presence and credibility.
Cleaca Consulting LLC
Website: www.cleaca.com
Founder: Colin Taylor (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2016
Story behind the name:
Firstly, I wanted a unique name that had meaning to me and (with some explanation) to my clients. It had to generate interest and fit with my service offering (global supply chain and go-to-market consulting). That ruled out family names (too many Taylors in the world) and most places like New Jersey or Randolph, which are meaningless for anyone operating a global business.
Long ago, in a moorland area close to where I grew up in Devonshire, England, farmers built granite slab bridges (Cleaca Consulting’s logo reflects the shape) to cross rivers and take their produce to market. As long ago as 1031 AD, such a bridge was referred to as a “Cleaca” with the origins of the word going back even earlier. The bridges were built using available resources and they sped time to market, reflecting the goals of my consulting business. Cleaca Consulting seemed like the perfect name! See here for the full story.
Focus of the firm:
Global Supply Chain and Go-To-Market — strategy and performance improvement.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the name — it has generated interest among clients, potential clients, and partners.
Advice for others:
Take your time to pick a name that:
- Has meaning for you (so your heart is in it) and your clients, to demonstrate your focus on them.
- Don’t use your own name (the focus is then on you, not your clients).
- Choose a name that does not tie you to a geography, industry, or type of work. We all continue to learn and grow; over time, consulting work comes up outside your initial focus.
- The name must be unique. You do not want to risk being confused with another similar-sounding business for so many reasons.
We were going in to resource provisioning initially and we wanted to offer Clean Pebbles — so the name.
Focus of the firm:
In person Executive level Consulting (and initially finding qualified candidates for FT roles with customers).
Looking back on the decision:
Yes — because it is easy to remember across all cultures and is easy off the tongue.
Advice for others:
Reserve your domain first — the name and its justification can be crafted later.
Clever Fox
Website: cleverfoxadvisory.com
Founder: Diane Davidson (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
My practice is named after my late golden retriever/Chow mix Wendy. I knew I wanted a name that was catchy and trendy. People would ask me if my dog was a Fox, which always made me laugh. I knew Fox had to be in the title.
Focus of the firm:
Process improvement and transformation concentrating on Finance for large corporations.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I would choose the name again. It always elicits a reaction from people.
Coda Strategy
Website: codastrat.com
Founder: David Zhao (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
Coda is a play on the word “coding” and intended to connote “digital.” In music, it refers to a passage that brings a piece or movement to an end, which is a play on the concept of helping clients bring an idea to an end, and get something done. I then added “strategy” to focus on that market within digital transformation.
Focus of the firm:
My practice helps digital leaders execute business strategy through analytics and automation. It is cross-industry and US-focused.
Looking back on the decision:
Looking forward, I eventually want to get into strategy implementation, in order to hire additional people. If at some point in the future, I have multiple digital implementation projects, then I might regret naming my firm “Coda Strategy.” However, that would be a great problem to have someday.
Advice for others:
I made sure that a short domain name was available before settling on my name. Otherwise, you might like your practice name but hate your domain name.
Well, I am very fond of wordplay and puns (I was quite notorious in college for my terrible puns!), so when I was looking for a name for my independent consulting practice, I wanted something minimalistic, professional, conveyed what services I offered, and yet was funky and out of the box in some way.
So I simply added an “s” to “Consultation”, which retains the essence of the original word, yet gives it a new meaning — it’s a “Station” where you arrive at, or halt at, for your consulting needs. Before finalizing the name and applying for registration, I Googled to see if it was taken. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t.
The search did reveal a “Consulstation”, which is the name of an actual railway station in Spain! My only worry was, I would have to spell out and explain the name to clients when I’ve giving out my email over phone, and/or they would make the common mistake of missing the “s” when sending me mails. Interestingly enough, barring one or two cases, that hasn’t happened with anyone so far!
Focus of the firm:
I am an ex-investment banker — M&A, private equity and valuation consultant. My focus is negotiating deals and alliances — often complex, cross-border deals involving large corporations and governments. I work across geographies, clients and transactions are global. I work across industry verticals, with a core focus on infrastructure and government. I also work extensively in the technology space — blockchain specifically — and with startups (mentoring, getting them deal ready for their first investor contact).
Looking back on the decision:
I think I would, yeah!
Cortus Advisors
Website: cortusadvisors.com
Founder: Peter Fisher (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I searched for Latin roots that conveyed the positioning I wanted to communicate and were not already used widely by other businesses or products. I also checked available URLs to ensure that some variation on the chosen name would be available for purchase. “Cortus” means to emerge, grow, rise and is well-aligned with the positioning I wanted to convey of working with organizations to identify, develop, and grow their business and profitability.
Focus of the firm:
Financial services, new business development, growth strategy, new market entry and growth extensions. Geographic focus, de facto, on North America and Europe, but not limited to that.
Looking back on the decision:
I probably would have chosen the same name. However, at the time I recall I was doing everything at once to get the new business launched, so did not spend too much time on the name because I had so many other urgent items that needed to be started quickly.
Advice for others:
Naming is very important, so it’s good to make that decision carefully and not too quickly. Also, it’s good to give some thought to whether your LLC will have the same name as your DBA business, and the implications of the two names being aligned or not.
Custom Lightning LLC
Website: customlightning.com
Founder: Steffen Meyer (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I always loved the company name “Industrial Light and Magic.” But of course, that name was already taken.
When I went independent in 2017, I asked a friend to brainstorm possible names with me. Among the 50 or so options, we included several “sensible” options that sounded “appropriate” to my field of innovation consulting. But many of those felt bland, maybe because “appropriate” and “sensible” are just other words for “like everyone else and unremarkable.” So our brainstorm also included unusual names in the spirit of Industrial Light and Magic.
I liked several names. When it came time to register the company, I filled out the forms twice, once for each of two final candidate names and brought both to the government agency that registers new companies. I picked Custom Lightning on impulse when I got there. It just felt right. That’s a terribly un-intellectual process. But it ensured that something associated with me … also felt like me.
Focus of the firm:
Innovation consulting and co-creation for corporations, across industries and geographies.
Topic focus on the business side of innovation, i.e., how to turn innovative ideas into businesses and earn executive buy-in.
Client focus on Chief Innovation Officers (or equivalent) and dedicated innovation teams (e.g., Labs, Ventures, or Human-centered Design Teams).
Looking back on the decision:
I would pick either the same name or one with a similar “feel” to it.
But I’d recommend error-proofing your company name against ways one might confuse it in daily use, especially against confusion with similar-sounding words:
E.g., People fairly often think my company name is Custom LIGHTING (“lighting” like lamp), though it is actually Custom LIGHTNING (“lightning” like thunder). Resulting errors like corrections to contracts, re-sends of missed emails, etc. cost me roughly 1-2 hours of wasted work per year.
It’s not enough to re-name the company, and I’ve learned to minimize issues. But it’s definitely frustrating
Advice for others:
1. Make it an early priority — If nothing else, it will make you feel more legitimate and give you a “landing spot” for ideas and dreams about what your business might become over time
2. Don’t over-think it — You can always change the name later or use a different brand name/ pseudonym, e.g., via the “DBA (doing business as)” process in the U.S.
3. Get (a few) outside opinions — Brainstorming can be easier with others, and showing name options to others will avoid mistakes caused by blindspots that we all have
4. Keep the name unique and true to who you are — If you do this well, people will remember the company name and associate you with it. So make it something with which you are proud to be associated
5. Get the details right — Depending on your jurisdiction, the exact spelling of your company, including any commas or other punctuation, may be part of the company name. Get them right the first time, so you don’t have to fix them later or put up with something that annoys you later
Da Vinci Consulting
Website: davinciinno.com
Founder: Daniel Small (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
My practice combines expertise in both commercial and technical fields, to help my clients achieve greater success by combining these very different disciplines. This “hybrid” field mastery reminds me of Leonardo Da Vinci, the ultimate example of mastering and applying seemingly opposite disciplines (art and engineering) to excel beyond most others who specialize in one or the other.
Focus of the firm:
I help global companies in the offsite construction industry to “innovate and execute with precision” by applying my proprietary Engineerovation™ process, which combines Jobs-To-Be-Done innovation theory with Lean Six Sigma process optimization to achieve greater success with lower risk, cost, and time.
Looking back on the decision:
I love the name I’ve chosen, and especially the logo I developed. My only issue is that “Da Vinci” is very popular, so I wasn’t able to secure a relevant and catchy domain.
Advice for others:
- Make it meaningful to shat your company does.
- IMO using your own name (e.g., “John Doe Consulting”) is passe and doesn’t help you market your services.
- Make sure you can get a relevant, catchy, memorable domain.
Dalop Management Consulting Inc
Founder: Ade Oladeinde (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2008
Story behind the name:
Through a combination of several factors.
Focus of the firm:
Portfolio, Program, Project Management. Business advisory servicing in Energy, Oil & Gas, Mining, Nuclear sector.
Looking back on the decision:
Same name, same practice, same business niche.
Damo Consulting Inc
Website: damoconsulting.net
Founder: Paddy Padmanabhan (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2014
Story behind the name:
Acronym of Digital, Analytics, Mobile, Outsourcing. These were meant to be the focus areas for the consulting practice. Hence Damo. Initially it didn’t matter and I never gave it much attention, and now we have brand recognition so we won’t change it.
Focus of the firm:
Digital health and transformation advisory for healthcare enterprises.
Looking back on the decision:
After I named the company, I found the domain name wasn’t available with .com so I had to take .net. So check the domain availability as a first step. Also, I found Damo was similar to Domo, an analytics company, and was also the same as a construction company in Indonesia. I also would have chosen different corporate colors for the logo, but that is something that can be fixed even now.
Advice for others:
My advice is NOT to name it after yourself. It may be a good idea in the beginning but at some point you want the company to outgrow you which will be hard if your name is on the company letterhead (exceptions aside, such as McKinsey which has been around a long time).
Pretty much anything else will work. It’s a good idea to have a short name, something that can be easily pronounced, will fit well into a thumbnail logo.
Companies have built big brands with weird names like Google and Yahoo. But that doesn’t mean you should go out trying to find the weirdest name possible for your business. Strategy comes to mind as a pointless exercise in branding by a consulting firm. In my opinion, the name of the company is about the very last thing that matters when it comes to success in consulting, so my advice is to focus on the client and everything else will fall in place.
DANLEX Solutions LLC
Website: danlexsolutions.com
Founder: Rick David (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
I have two lovely children — Danielle and Alex, hence DANLEX. The second part of the firm name “Solutions” is the mantra of what services I provide – Solutions to their most pressing business issues. Accordingly, DANLEX Solutions LLC came into existence. The company logo includes the letters “DS”. One of my early clients saw the logo and proclaimed, I love your name and logo, DS must stand for “Does Stuff”.
Focus of the firm:
Addressing the most pressing issues in the C-Suite. Using my background as a Big 4 CPA, CFO, CFO, HR overseer, Marketing leader, and others, DANLEX Solutions provides Consulting and Interim Management Services to the C-Suite | Helping CEOs, CFOs and COOs Succeed.
Looking back on the decision:
I would have chosen the same name.
Dark Horse Works
Website: darkhorse.works
Founder: Eric Eskey (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
Alexandra Watkins’ book, Hello, My Name Is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick was instrumental. I sought to answer, “Who would my clients need to be to get everything they want?” It came to me that they would be a Dark Horse.
I describe it in this way, “It’s from early 19th-century racing slang. It means a competitor about whom little is known who unexpectedly wins. The odds say it should be impossible for the dark horse to win. Clearly, nobody told the dark horse. We dedicate our work to those who are ready to do the impossible.”
Focus of the firm:
I serve Product Leaders of mid-market companies who want to discover what their customers want and assess innovation opportunities using the jobs-to-be-done approach.
Looking back on the decision:
I think I would choose the same name, and I would still do something differently — I would have tested name options for appeal and click-through with my target clients.
Advice for others:
Hire a naming expert like Alexandra. Your time is too valuable to do it alone. And the right name can help reach your goals faster.
I needed something flexible. It had to work for a variety of different and at that time undefined opportunities. Donno was my nickname on my sports teams.
Focus of the firm:
Cog, Brand, Distribution, Pricing, Product definition, and design.
Looking back on the decision:
It’s worked well for 25 years.
Advice for others:
Don’t try to over-communicate using the name of your firm. I have never found that a potential client is at all influenced by the fact that I named myself Donno brand and product consulting versus Donald consulting. In essence all of my business has been a slow growth of networking and referrals.
Eigengrey Consulting & Advisory
Website: hashtagyourlife.com
Founder: Greg Solomon (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
The Germans have a great name for the grey color you see when you close your eyes: ‘Eigengrau’ (inner grey). And although my name is ‘Greg’, when I moved to Asia a decade ago, it was common for people here to call me ‘Grey’ instead. So when setting up my independent actuarial consulting practice, I decided to merge the two ideas and call myself “Eigengrey”. Sadly, eigengrey.com was taken, so I opted instead for eigengrey.net.
Focus of the firm:
Independent actuarial consultancy, with clients mainly in Asia & Europe. I specialize in reinsurance, risk & capital management. I also provide advisory services (including as Advisory Board Chair) in the health, wellness, insurtech & fintech space. I also use story-telling for training & coaching, under the sub-brand #HashtagYourLife.
Looking back on the decision:
Absolutely would choose the same name again — still love it, and get positive feedback from clients about its uniqueness.
Advice for others:
Personally speaking, I’m not a fan of using one’s personal name for a company name, although I accept it’s quite common. I also don’t like the 3-letter acronyms. I believe in the power of storytelling, and hold that a distinct name with a unique story is much better than a personal name or acronym. (Your mileage may vary.)
Envisionyst LLC
Website: envisionyst.com
Founder: Adam Broidy (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
I had to form an LLC fast at the beginning of the pandemic due to the California AB-5 law that went into effect on January 1st, 2020, to sign a consulting contract. So I had to come up with a unique name quite fast. I combined words of what I wanted my consulting company to project, such as envisioning the future and making it happen. So Envision + Catalyst together made Envisionyst!
Focus of the firm:
Industry Focus: Non-profit/social impact organizations, or early-stage startups.
Functional Focus: Digital Transformation, Design Strategy, Business Advisory, Program/Project Management.
Geographic Focus: US
Looking back on the decision:
While the name is easily pronounceable, it’s not relatively easy to know how to spell it precisely, but with that said, the LLC name was available, so was the .com, and I still like what the name represents.
Advice for others:
Timebox making a list of names with no judgment, write as many down as you can. Then review the names and see what FEELS right and resonates not just in your mind, but in your gut. And pass by a trusted advisor. And don’t overthink it!
Evello Partners
Website: evellopartners.com.au
Founder: Bryant Plavsic (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2010
Story behind the name:
I arrived on the name during a long, walking hike along Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. I wanted a name that emphasized the focus on achieving results and outcomes for clients and the name ‘Evello’ means results in Latin.
Focus of the firm:
Strategy, organization design, mergers and acquisitions and productivity improvement.
Looking back on the decision:
I would not change the name and it resonates well, both internally with staff, as well as with clients.
Face Value Performance Psychology Limited
Website: facevaluepp.com
Founder: Glenn Mead (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I wanted to emphasize our human tendency to make snap judgements and jump to conclusions, often with less-than-optimum results. Being aware of how we take things at ‘face value’, we can be forewarned and prepared to take measures to limit the negative impacts of emotional thinking.
The strapline to my company name is ‘Thinking beyond first impressions’. Having an open mind and using open questions to open up dialogue and imagination is a surer way of maximizing your potential for performance than becoming stressed and rigid in our thinking. My company logo features two ellipses in a full circle which itself stands inside an open ring. At first glance, it resembles a face with two eyes…but don’t let me influence your thinking!
Focus of the firm:
I work with any industry that employs human beings with their full complement of emotions, cognitive distortions and communication misinterpretations and mishaps. I work with any size of business or public sector organization where clear and coherent thinking will help improve performance. I am based in the UK and can operate globally using virtual technology — for coaching, training, facilitation and keynote talks on the neuropsychology of leadership.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I would choose the same name. I did have another name before this (‘In Two Minds’), through which I wanted to highlight the existence of the emotional- and logical-thinking brains that run our lives. However, the phrase suggested hesitancy and so did not fit well with my business delivery of certain performance improvement.
I looked for various options available on multiple websites by focusing on the key elements like digital, finance, transformation, and consulting. The name Finism came from finance and IT transformation. Being a woman, I wanted to give it a feminism touch — hence, Finism.
Focus of the firm:
Functional focus with blend on digital transformation.
Looking back on the decision:
I would not change the name and it resonates well, both internally with staff, as well as with clients.
Advice for others:
Keep it simple yet focused on what you are offering, and catchy to attract attention.
FMDAK consists of the first letter of the first name of the five members of my immediate family:
- Farid (me)
- Marjan (my wife)
- Delara (daughter)
- Arash (son)
- Kourosh (son)
Focus of the firm:
Business Technology Transformation in the financial services sector.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the same name.
Advice for others:
Choose a personalized and differentiated name … uniqueness that your clients can relate to tends to be sticky.
My dad thought of this name 30 years ago and applied it specifically to sales training he delivered. I plan to expand upon it and build a company based on it. The premise is that complex and abstract problems can be tackled and solved…but to overcome the hurdle requires a plan, a strategy, a formula.
Focus of the firm:
Two primary areas:
- Consulting for individuals, most commonly in areas like career coaching, job sourcing, skill building, career advancement, leadership training.
- Consulting for organizations across a variety of areas like management consulting, strategy, driving growth, go-to-market & leadership development/human capital management.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes; while I believe the name better aligns to individual coaching as contrasted with management consulting for organizations, I am committed to the idea based on the meaning to myself & my family.
Advice for others:
- Choose something that is meaningful to you.
- Choose something that aligns to your macro-vision.
- Choose something that can scale, as your interests and areas of expertise scale.
I knew I wanted two words and liked “Channel” but could not figure out the other word. I consulted with a colleague who has been president of companies and had started some of her own companies. I consider her creative and a good friend. She offered to come up with a list of 10 to 15 words that she thought might complement “Channel.”
The word “Forward” was about half way in to the list. I liked it before “Channel.” I then did a search to see if it was available, and it was. I also Googled it and found out that it actually means something in the telecommunications industry — a pathway connector. That suited me since my business involves writing, editing, and project management. I am still happy with the business name three and a half years later!
Focus of the firm:
Writing, editing, and project management.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I like the name Forward Channel LLC.
Advice for others:
I was given the advice from a business owner to not use my name for the business name.
FRC Group Inc.
Website: frcgrp.com
Founder: Jim Schoen (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2016
Story behind the name:
Took me two years — I did not want to be careless about it. Initially I incorporated under my name as “Jim Schoen Inc.” and knew I needed a professional name. Techniques used to generate name ideas:
- Visioning.
- Peer discussions about how they named their practices.
- Documented how I work and want to be perceived.
- This led to many options.
- Selected RFC Results Focused Consulting, but this DBA was already taken.
- Settled on FRC Focused Results Consulting.
Focus of the firm:
Discrete Manufacturing, Strategically driven Lean business improvement. No geographic focus — as an independent have worked nationwide.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the same name.
Advice for others:
Don’t rush it but don’t procrastinate. Balance rigor with calm, cool, collected creativity Don’t sweat it — all of a sudden it will “pop” if you follow the above.
Frequency Partners
Website: frequency-partners.com
Founder: Ramon Saravia (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2018
Story behind the name:
My partner and I did a brainstorming sessions and came up with different ideas. I had come up with Frequency Partners — my hobby is music, and I’m also a spiritual person. I believe Frequency encapsulates both of my interests. My partner ran the names we had prioritized with a numerologist (yes, a numerologist!), and Frequency became the recommended name among the proposed options.
Focus of the firm:
We focus on supply chain optimization in Brazil and Argentina for major companies present in the region.
Looking back on the decision:
Looking back, I would have done things pretty much the same.
Advice for others:
Use something different than your name (or initials). Easier to give the image of something bigger than yourself, as well as, better to attract new partners and avoid an ego fight.
Führung Arête Global Consulting
Founder: Marlo David (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
The name came about from things I am very passionate about and I like to think I really am very good at. These are Leadership and Excellence. Führung is a German word for Leadership, and Aréte is an ancient Greek word for excellence.
Focus of the firm:
IT and Management Consulting with industry focus on the following:
- Banking and Financial Management
- Technology
- Telecommunication
- Utilities
- Government
- Supply Chain
- Aerospace & Defense
- Energy
- Manufacturing
- Automotive
- Airline
- Retail
- Business Process Outsourcing
- Gaming
- Housing
Looking back on the decision:
Yes I would definitely choose the same name.
It was an interesting journey. We set up tens of names associated with finance and business. We did this in a systematic way — we made a matrix for combinations of two basic words, which were different, and for each combination on X and Y axis we performed a voting. We ended up with a short list and trusted only our emotions. So the resulting name was sounding like a call-to-action — go for CFO!
Focus of the firm:
Our clients are founders of startups and growing companies. We are aimed at helping them to attract money, grow the business and profits. We are keen on IT-industry, however, we can work with business in almost each industry. We focus on high-level CFO function — management reporting, set up of other important financial processes: budgeting and control, financial and investment planning, management decision support. Since we are remote CFO agency, we serve clients worldwide. We have clients in USA and Europe.
Looking back on the decision:
I like our current name, however, we have a couple of extra versions, and we may be would deploy them in our next reincarnation.
Advice for others:
Don’t listen to naming specialists, use your emotions. The name should give you the energy!
Halcyon Management
Website: halcyonmgt.com
Founder: David Paul (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2014
Story behind the name:
I wanted a name to convey the experience and result of working with me and my small team. I thought of what common characteristics clients had that most benefited from our engagement. Some level of chaos, lack of direction and management, lack of experience, etc. I also wanted to link the name back to some hook from classical times – Latin and Greek – a personal hook for me personally if you will. Hence, settled on the name Halcyon Management. Definition of halcyon:
Noun – from Greek Mythology, the Halcyon was a mythical kingfisher bird that was said to calm rough seas wherever it nested, usually around the winter solstice.
As an adjective:
- a: characterized by happiness, great success, and prosperity : Golden
- b: Calm, peaceful – a halcyon atmosphere
- c: Prosperous
Regarding the Management piece – I did not want to use any derivation of “consultant.” Wanted it to imply broader impact.
Focus of the firm:
We focus on helping clients through complex transformations and transitions. Often with some key digital enablement component – ERPs, CRM, BI, etc. Each team member has significant professional services and corporate experience.
Looking back on the decision:
Would not change the name at all. It is unique (at least in this space) and memorable with clients.
Hopen Management Consulting
Founder: Tomás Elewaut (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2012
Story behind the name:
I thought about what I would like to bring to my clients, and the first word that came to my mind was “hope”. Then I thought that it was nice to relate the name with something personal, so I Iooked for the translation of “hope” to the Flemish language, as my father was born in Belgium and flemish is his mother tongue. Thats when I found out that in Flemish “hopen” means to “have hope” as a verb, instead of a noun as “hope”, and I liked it even better as having hope represents a decision that has be taken. Finally, I added “Management Consulting” to the name to make it more clear what was my consulting practice about.
Focus of the firm:
Management consulting focusing on strategy, business development, organization and human capital. I am based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Looking back on the decision:
I would choose the same name.
Ideas & Solutions! Inc.
Website: ideasolutions.com
Founder: Glen Friedman (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 1995
Story behind the name:
Originally named Solutions! and could not get domain so modified it. I did not want to use my name as I wanted to sound like a real consulting company, vs. exec in transition consulting.
Focus of the firm:
Media and tech with specialization on subscription businesses. National. Marketing and Business Strategy, Partnership and Business Development, Customer Experience.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the name.
Illumination Partners, LLC
Website: illuminationpartnersllc.com
Founder: Deborah Coviello (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2018
Story behind the name:
My brand is The Drop In CEO and I lead with this.
Illumination Partners, LLC: when I was exited from my corporate job, spent many months soul searching via walking, writing, reading, listening to podcasts and a lot of crying. While working on some home projects, we had to go to Menards or a home improvement store many times. Often we would pass by the lighting section and I was take in by the beauty. It was also Christmas time and we would visit restaurants, museums or shows where I was constantly drawn to the beauty of lights. My daughter thought I was a moth in a previous life. But then I would cry sometimes looking up at the lights and then realized it was a source of energy, potential, wonderment and creation. I could see myself in a venue with bright lights where people would come together to do great work with myself and others. Hence Illumination Partners was born.
The Brand came June 2019 when I was interviewed on a podcast. When asked what I did, I said I was like the Drop In CEO and then told the story about a past role where a CEO was dropped in to help a failing business. I remember how he made us feel and not only fixing the business issues with us, but also elevated our capability. It is that memory that I described him as The Drop In CEO and also the way I work with businesses today. I trademarked The Drop In CEO and I use that as my tag line and part of my elevator pitch., but the brand is key to differentiating myself. Happy to share more with others how it evolved and has been built out.
Focus of the firm:
1) Fractional Leadership / Crisis Management for small & medium size businesses, but I’ve done this many times in larger companies.
2) Coaching & Leadership development for C-Suite leaders of today and tomorrow.
Website: Helping C-Suite Leaders Take Control of Their Careers — The Drop In CEO guides leaders of today and tomorrow to navigate challenges with confidence.
Looking back on the decision:
No changes — confident with my choice.
Advice for others:
Don’t overthink and it has to simply happen based on the words or phrases that you think or say.
Imago Advisory
Website: imago-advisory.com
Founder: Martin Blædel (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2018
Story behind the name:
I always had a thing for butterflies, and in studying them I found the name “Imago” representing the final metamorphorsis. SO, the little egg turns into a larvae, coocoon and finally a butterfly.
And then it fell so natural. My business is all about finding the higher state of business and beeing. That what I do, is looking for the “Imago” of the businesses and leaders I work with.
First name CoOrg – was too though through – and took too long an explaination to get people into. The telling of why Imago is both an elevator pitch and a good personal note instead.
I had a long list of names, and I spend some time interviewing close clients what they though of the names. What conotations they got from it – or how they would see it fit. That was a good experience
Focus of the Firm:
Danish/North European mid sized commercial companies.
I do strategy, transformations and transactions with focus on GTM
Looking back on the decision:
Yes. It took me 6 years to come up with it – and it fits so well now.
Advice for others:
I always start any new business conversation on “why my name”. Its both an elevator pitch, and great way of getting people interested. Do not underestimate the power of a name.
Boring abreviations or just your name + consulting, does not get any attention.
Keep trying until the name feels right – it will do you so much good afterwards
IMG Consulting
Website: imgconsultingandwriting.com
Founder: Michael Guterbock (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2016
Story behind the name:
Simple, we used the initials of our daughter! Little did we realize that it is also the initials of my wife and my first names, and my last name.
Focus of the firm:
US and Europe. International development, global health, strategic planning, and fundraising.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, we like the name. The simple “IMG Consulting” domain name was taken, but we added “and writing” and made that work.
Advice for others:
If you have a name you like make sure someone else is not already using it.
The “Consult” in the name was pretty obvious as I was looking for a name that conveyed the main activity of the company. The first part of the name though (“Index”) was completely random and was given to me by a friend. When we combined the two words (“indexconsult”) I liked the sound of it and voila! Almost 10 years since day one!
Focus of the firm:
Our shop offers 4 types of services:
1) BPO – Accounting, Tax and HR
2) Auditing – Internal or external, operational or finance
3) Consulting – Corporate Finance, GRC, Cybersecurity, Due Diligence
4) Staff Loan – Allocation of audit , accounting or finance professionals in a project (short or long term, supervised or not)
Looking back on the decision:
I think I would keep it, I like the sound of it and it is pretty straightforward!
Advice for others:
Look for a short and clear name and logo that reflects what you want your company to be perceived.
Index Consulting
Website: indexpar.com.br
Founder: Giancarlo Oliveira (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2002
Story behind the name:
We wanted a short name that was easy to remember and could be pronounced in every language. Index is the latin word for “direction” and “guidance”.
Focus of the firm:
Market entry strategy, competitive strategy, valuation and m&a, marketing segmentation, process redesign, investment feasibility studies.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I still like the name.
Advice for others:
Names are personal. Just follow your instincts.
Insurgents
Website: insurgents.io
Founder: Robin Albin (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
My first agency was named BRASH — Insurgents is BRASH 2.0. I wanted to set a tone that we don’t do branding by the book.
Focus of the firm:
Branding: beauty, health, wellness, luxury lifestyle and CPG.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I would keep the name.
Advice for others:
Love your name and make sure it is authentic to who you are and how you operate.
James Alistair LLC
Website: jamesalistair.com
Founder: Graham Leary (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2021
Story behind the name:
When I moved to the US 20+ years ago, I found at times some folks had trouble with my first name, e.g., at Starbucks, on my order, I’d say Graham, and the staff would often respond Brian. So I figured I needed a “Starbucks name.” From then on, “James” was it. When naming my company, my family and I brainstormed many different names. Finally, my eldest son made the call to go with James Alistair LLC (Alistair being my middle name).
Focus of the firm:
– CPG and Grocery Retail
– Procurement, Global Sourcing, Private Label, Sustainable Packaging
– Global focus
Looking back on the decision:
I wouldn’t change. I think it sounds quite noble. What’s perhaps more important though is building the equity in your brand. That’s really the hard work.
Advice for others:
Being able to tell a personal story behind your company name may make it more authentic. It can often become an icebreaker. Involve family and friends. Take your time. Have fun with it.
I have three daughters.
JOrdan
PAyton
ALexis
Focus of the firm:
Supply chain
Looking back on the decision:
Yes
Kalebas LLC
Website: kalebas.com
Founder: Katie Krier (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2002
Story behind the name:
“Kalebas” was a made-up word, part of a running family joke.
When it came time to name an LLC that could hold multiple businesses, I did a search of Kalebas in multiple languages and discovered it was Dutch for the calabash plant – a gourd that is the basis for food and for making bowls, jugs, percussion instruments, and more. Perfect for a holding company of other DBA companies.
Only downside… folks get hung up on the pronunciation, not sure and not wanting to offend.
Focus of the firm:
Services – specifically customer service and contact center operations
Looking back on the decision:
easier to pronounce. Also, I have other names that are more indicative of types of services – plus my own name.
King Edward First
Website: king-edward.com
Founder: Nicholas Benedict (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2007
Story behind the name:
Originally, “King Edward” was a drinking game my college roommate and I made up. In my previous company, there was a dispute between my business partner and I over ownership, and my attorneys advised me to create another vehicle for new assets to be placed in and wanted to name it 123456 Corp. I said if we’re going to have a new company it may as well have an interesting name. They said, “Okay, you have ten minutes”. So King Edward it was. Except that was taken, so it became King Edward First.
Focus of the firm:
We are full-service digital marketing company that focuses on entrepreneurs and small businesses. We serve clients worldwide.
Looking back on the decision:
I definitely would have been more deliberate about it. That said, it’s weird and distinct enough that I think it’s a good name. Either way, we have enough brand equity built up in the name that it’s impossible to change it now.
A lot of what I do in my practice is cracking convoluted problems, or put metaphorically, unraveling Gordian Knots. I’m also a puzzle nerd and love cryptic crosswords. I wanted to bring the “work me” and the “playtime me” together, so I loaded “Gordian Knots” into an anagram-builder and out popped “Kingston Road”. [Other options such as “dingo snot ark” and “no giant dorks” were tempting, and if I’d dropped the ‘s’ I could have had “King Tornado”, but I figured I should keep it vaguely professional.]
Focus of the firm:
I support CEOs to engage more effectively in strategic planning with their boards and their leadership teams.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes! I love the inside joke nature of it, and it’s surprising how many times clients have asked me about the name. When I explain it — with the right note of chagrin — it gives them a memorable short-hand of what makes me tick. A good business name should help you stand out, and do it in a way that accurately represents what you’re all about.
Advice for others:
Dig a little deeper into your own quirks and how they serve you well in what you do. Play with how you could use them in a business name that balances whimsy with professionalism. What we do is serious, but we build better connections when we’re not always serious doing it.
Clients are buying “me,” not a brand. So I wanted to create something that I would connect to. When I was a child I created an “alter ego” called Labareda (“flame” in Portuguese) because of my love of motor racing (cars in the 1980s / 1990s did spit out a lot of flames).
To me it echoes of high performance and speed. So I decided to re-use the concept when naming the practice. It has nothing to do with the consulting services I provide, or a catchy brand. It’s just something I connect to.
Focus of the firm:
Industry: Financial Services
Functional: Strategy and Performance Improvement and Commercial Due Diligence
Geography: Europe/US
Looking back on the decision:
I would choose the same name, yes. Maybe in a few years when it grows beyond me, I will think differently.
Advice for others:
Don’t think too much about it, just find something you like. Building a brand (beyond your personal brand) is not your first priority to get business, for most types of consulting. Don’t name it after your surname, too many people have done it.
Lateral Context
Website: lateralcontext.com
Founder: Michael Fuchs (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
It came up as a playful reference to the power of lateral thinking and need for perspective and context in creative problem solving. It also needed to be relatively easy to spell for an international audience and have an available domain name. Lastly, I wanted to avoid a generic “My Name Consulting”, in case I ever wanted to grow this thing.
Focus of the firm:
We help clients, worldwide, figure out the relevance, value creation potential and business risk of emerging and new technologies, combining a deep understanding of technology and innovation, with market and business insights and creative thinking. That means understanding where the contours of different technologies and the client’s business overlap. How they’ve impacted adjacent industries and how they could affect the client. What competitors are doing and the potential they hold for the client. And when this becomes relevant.
Depending on the client needs, we focus broadly on business model and strategy implications, or more specifically on, e.g., propositions, customer experience or operational processes. I work independently, with collaborators or slot into larger teams.
LazyAnalyst
Website: lazyanalyst.com
Founder: Corinna Zennig (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I wanted the name to be related to what my practice does, include some sense of humor, and have an available URL. My consultancy automates reporting through what is called data engineering. Every data analyst in every company in the world could use my help.
I brainstormed with friends and family. The first winning idea was “data whisperer” but that URL was already taken! I adopted it as my title instead. It took some months to come up with the final name: “LazyAnalyst — less work, more insights.” My job is to save analysts time and effort in reporting. My clients find it hilarious. They are the type of client I want to work with.
Focus of the firm:
E-commerce Companies and Marketing Agencies worldwide.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, a better name has never occurred to me. It’s a great ice breaker during the initial sales call.
Advice for others:
URL optimize your name. My research into URL optimization e.g. told me to not use hyphens. A URL needs to be short and crisp. Ask people what they think about your name candidates (related and unrelated to your work). If you’re international make sure the name does not mean anything funny in the major languages of this world.
LEAF has several stories:
- Lea is my second name, and F the first letter of my last name.
- Leaf evokes a tree, growth, innovation, new things. I offer new product conception activities.
- Leaf evokes a passion I have: family tree (that has nothing to do with my activities of consultant).
Focus of the firm:
Strategic marketing / new products development.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes! Maybe in French though.
Magnetic North Strategies, Inc.
Website: magneticnorthstrategies.com
Founder: Brett Pentz (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
First off, I took Will Bachman’s advice seriously not to limit myself by putting my own name on the firm. Once I made that decision, I wanted a name that would incorporate two themes. One of those themes was to play to the fact that, even if most would not realize it, that I kept on moving further and further north with my consulting from Chicago to London to Montreal (geography enthusiasts will note that London is technically a higher latitude, but Montreal sure feels much further north!).
The second was that I liked the concept of using a strategy to guide my clients to their businesses’ destination. Since I do so much work around new market entry (especially UK to North America), the symbology of maps and being a guide made a lot of sense. And though its location is currently in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, the last country that Magnetic North resided in was Canada, where I now live after my wife took a job in Montreal.
Focus of the firm:
In terms of industry, MNS focuses on healthcare and life sciences, technology and software, and professional services — often for PE-backed businesses. Functionally, I do corporate and business unit strategy (especially market entry strategy), sales and marketing (especially commercial excellence and go-to-market strategy), commercial due diligence, and project management work (especially post-investment and post-M&A value creation planning and execution). Geographically, I help a lot of UK businesses think about whether to and how to enter the US and Canadian markets, but I have clients in all three countries, as I have worked as a strategy consultant in each geography.
Looking back on the decision:
I haven’t had any regrets as far as coming up with a better name subsequently. The only drawback is that it is quite a long name in terms of an email address and website, but it was also partly chosen because the domain was available. So, I would say there are no big regrets.
Advice for others:
It is worth spending the time brainstorming potential name ideas. And it is also worth getting feedback on any of those ideas that you think could be a strong contender. Finally, other than checking that there is a domain available for the name you select, it is worth thinking about what a logo and image library may look like for whatever name you choose.
MileZero LLC
Website: milezero.io
Founder: Robyn Bolton (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2018
Story behind the name:
Step 1: I brainstormed a list of words that I associated with the focus of my firm (innovation) and that I heard people use frequently when describing the work we did together.
Step 2: I picked the top 5 and shared them with people I knew and trusted, asking for their thoughts and preferences.
Step 3: Once the top 2 were identified, I brainstormed all the words I associated with each one. I was surprised that one list has only positive words associated with it and the other was very much a mix of positive and negative. Naturally, I chose the one with only positive connotations.
Step 4: Crafted a story around the name that felt authentic and authentically me, shared it with friends and family to get their reactions and, when it was all positive, finalized the choice.
The story(ies):
- Professional: I work with companies that are starting their innovation journeys. Maybe they’ve tried to innovate before, maybe this is the first time. But, for everyone, we’re at the start. We’re at Mile Zero.
- Personal. One of my favorite places in the world is Key West. In fact, the first time I EVER imagined having my own business, I was laying by a pool daydreaming about what to do next professionally. US Highway 1 starts in Key West — it’s Mile 0.
Focus of the firm:
Innovation (industry and geography agnostic).
Looking back on the decision:
100% I would keep the name. I love my name and people understand the profession rationale and love the personal rationale.
Momentum Development Corporation
Website: momentumcompanies.com
Founder: Jim Bowen (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2001
Story behind the name:
The idea was to connote progress, and “momentum” was a name that was generally available and not too crowded by other similar companies. What was more fun was designing the logo — my oldest son (10 at the time) suggested a comet and I found a good comet picture on the internet, made a pen-and-ink version of it, and scanned that.
Focus of the firm:
The intersection of law, finance, and energy — structuring deals and advising companies, generally, but not always, in the international energy, minerals, or financial services sectors.
Looking back on the decision:
I would choose the same name.
Advice for others:
I typically don’t like made-up words that sound like a new pharmaceutical (I guess, unless you’re consulting to the pharma sector).
Monarch Point Consulting Group
Website: monarchpointconsulting.com
Founder: Brian Dapelo (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I wanted to pick a name that sounded both fancy and unique, but not overly complex. When contemplating a name I had a vision of a very recognizable rock point on the beach I grew up on in Southern California and the name just came to me…Monarch Point Consulting Group.
Focus of the firm:
Strategy, operations, and program management for global financial services firms, private equity firms, and private equity portfolio companies.
Looking back on the decision:
I still like the name and logo years later, but it is not without its occasional irritation. Often people shorten it to ‘Monarch Consulting’ out of simplicity, but doing so makes it sound like I’m trying to hold myself out as a royal consultant or something when in reality the rock point was named after the monarch butterfly.
Advice for others:
Whatever you do, don’t make up a word, and certainly not something excessively long or complex otherwise people will not be able to find you due to misspelling. Keep it simple, keep it memorable, and ideally incorporate your primary focus/service in the name. For example, I would have added “strategy” in my name somewhere because the word “consulting” by itself is just so broad, that most people don’t know what kind of consultant I am. On the other hand, it can be a good conversation starter for the right prospect because it allows you the opportunity to elaborate on what you do.
Mosaic Growth Partners LLC
Website: mosaicgrowth.com
Founder: Elena Lipson (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2015
Story behind the name:
I thought about the long-term vision for my practice and wanted to pick a name that could grow into whatever my business evolved into. I wanted it to sound professional and convey that I partner with my clients to help them grow. I liked “mosaic” because it provided the image of bringing pieces together to form a cohesive whole that’s better than the individual pieces.
Focus of the firm:
Growth strategy and strategic planning for the digital health and life sciences industry
Looking back on the decision:
I might. The name still works, but since I started my business I’ve shifted more towards being an independent consultant. When I started, I had a different model and went after bigger projects and had 1099s. The original name would still allow me to grow my practice, which is nice, but sometimes I wonder if I should’ve named it after myself or my initials since I’m not using a team anymore or planning to grow into a firm.
Advice for others:
Pick something that can grow and evolve with you as you never really know what direction your business may pivot into over time. I also like the idea of picking a name that creates some kind of imagery – it helps with branding and giving people a visual to associate with you and your value proposition.
Mosaic Resource Group
(dba MindsparQ)
Website: themindsparq.com
Founder: Crystal Richards (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
My original company name was Mosaic Resource Group.
1) I like mosaics and 2) I wanted to sound like a group of people rather than one person in case I build up my company with staff. After 5 years of my company name and during the height of the pandemic, I wanted to do some pivoting to provide a learning arm of my company named Mosaic Learning.
Whoops! Turns out there was a company already named that and they had the copyrights to that name. I called an IP attorney and we found out that I could NOT use Mosaic Learning and in fact there were about 5 companies in the DC area that had some variation of Mosaic Resource-something that would cause a branding issue for me and confusion for potential clients. The IP attorney suggested I find a name with a unique spelling (i.e. Lyft, Uber, Pruuven) and thus MindsparQ was born through many brainstorming sessions with my husband and friends.
Focus of the firm:
Educational consulting in project management training.
Looking back on the decision:
My current dba name, yes I would choose the same name. My former name (still officially on the tax records), I wish I did more research. Even though the URLs were available that is not enough to establish your own brand name. I knew something was up within the first 6 months of my company when I would attend vendor outreach events and introduce my company name and people would say, “are you that company in…[insert location].” That was the warning sign.
Advice for others:
Do your research! Just because the URL is available doesn’t mean there aren’t other companies using the same name. Personally, I think it is well worth the expense to copyright your name because when you become popular, there WILL be others who want to copy your style.
Mythos Group
Website: mythosgroupinc.com
Founder: Amit Patel (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2005
Story behind the name:
Finding a company name that captures the essence of your company’s culture and what you do is challenging. In my journey, I did an extensive search of words that resonated with me. I loved the word, “Mythos” which is derived from the Greek word Mythoi. It means … “the complex of beliefs, values, attitudes, etc, characteristic of a specific group or society”. I then did a domain name search to ensure the domain name was available. It was, and I registered it.
Focus of the firm:
Domain Area Focus: Strategy, Strategic Planning, Transformation (Digital, HR, Organizational), Organization Design, Organizational Change Management, and Leadership Coaching.
Industry: Banking, Biopharma, CPG, Healthcare, High Tech, Insurance, Media & Entertainment, Retail, and Telecom.
Geographic Focus: West Coast (California). However, have worked for clients across the US, and internationally (Australia, Canada, Germany, France, India, Singapore, and UK).
Looking back on the decision:
Wouldn’t change the name of my company.
Advice for others:
Choose a name that resonates with you … is unique, and easy to remember. And, most importantly, the domain is available. That is a driving factor.
New Mountain Consulting
Website: newmountain.at
Founder: Georg Neuberger (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I shared my ideas about the company name with an Umbrex member who specializes in finding and expressing the unique core. I met her at the Top Tier event in London in 2016 and she (thankfully) made it clear to me that I should again think about it. After that, I brainstormed by creating a long-list of several MS Word pages with ideas for names, and regularly exchanged my thoughts with her.
She helped me tremendously to structure my thinking into the right direction. I registered a domain for website and email (the website actually needs to be reworked). New Mountain is the German to English translation of my last name “Neuberger” (though not exactly; it would precisely be “New Mountaineer”). It also reflects the clear view that you get from the top of a mountain — and which I provide.
Focus of the firm:
Business Development in Healthcare.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the name.
Advice for others:
Regardless of how you choose a company identifier, I strongly recommend that you share your thoughts with someone you consider a good advisor and ask them for feedback before you send the name out into the world.
I wanted a name that would:
1) Suit general Strategy and Sustainability/Environmental projects, and value creation/M&A.
2) Not rule out other projects of interest.
3) Work internationally (primarily Europe and North America).
4) Not be just identified with me, but could grow and scale if appropriate.
The North Shore Advisors name does this (arguably); it conjures up an image of looking out into the uncharted sea from a current known position (strategy), is environmental by its nature and is a name that applies in many countries (many north shores) plus its in English so works internationally.
I tested it and a few other names on a small group of people – with brief of what I wanted to achieve. I invited more ideas. NorthShore name was very positively received. Bigger challenge was making sure it worked from both a corporate name and an email address/domain name perspective (requiring regulatory checks/filings).
Focus of the firm:
Strategy, Environmental, M&A/value creation.
Industries: Consumer goods, retailing, leisure, food, industrial.
Geography: Ireland/UK; plus some continental Europe and North America
Looking back on the decision:
The name works well, provides flexibility and I’d do the same again.
Advice for others:
Gain points of view from others you trust rather than rely on your own ideas. The company name and domain name trawls cut out a lot of ideas — need to test the ideas early. After that don’t sweat it — ‘a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’
Combining the greek words for night and dawn (νυξ+ εως).
Focus of the firm:
Strategy, family business, Europe.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes I would keep the name.
Advice for others:
The name should fit your personal values.
Obligent Consulting
Website: obligent.com
Founder: Shoumo Ganguly (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2015
Story behind the name:
It turned out that I had a name in mind before I knew for sure I would go into consulting on my own. I was looking up domain names in 2013 on bustaname.com and was browsing through possible domain names that sounded like a natural words but weren’t so. Among other names I liked “obligent” and later registered the domain.
Later I found out that it wasn’t an English word but it did mean something in French. Anyway, in my mind it sounded like a derivative of “oblige” and similar to words like cognizant. Later in late 2014 I felt that would a good name. In my mind it means, “being bound by ones values and word to oblige by providing service and favors.” I also went on urbandictionary.com and entered a definition of the word.
Focus of the firm:
Growth consulting for small businesses using business modeling technique / approach. Downtown marketing (generating foot traffic, influencing store visits, and driving revenue.)
Looking back on the decision:
I still think “Obligent Consulting” is good enough as an umbrella brand. But I need to have sub-brands for each of the niche markets / audience. For example, I have registered the domain for “Downtown in a Box” for my business district / downtown marketing services. I do not yet have the resources to start marketing the offering nationwide.
Advice for others:
Find a domain name that an also be used as a handle on major social sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Alignable, and now Polywork. Some would recommend choosing a business name and domain name that explains what the services are and play into the keywords people use on search engines.
The business name and domain name need not be the same. Business owners use DBA (doing business as) names all the time and use the DBA name for domain names.
OneConstant
Website: oneconstant.io
Founder: Dan MacAndrew (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2017
Story behind the name:
I built my career on leading major change events (M&A) for clients. The name of my practice is based on the Heraclitus quote “The only constant in life is change.”
Focus of the firm:
Mergers and Acquisitions, Post-Merger Integrations.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the name.
Orizzonte Partners, LLC
Website: orpallc.com
Founder: John Phillips (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
My wife is Italian and when thinking about moving on to the next challenge in my life she and I determined we were looking at a new horizon. So “Orizzonte” is horizon in Italian and it also influenced the development of the firm logo as well.
Focus of the firm:
Focus of Orizzonte Partners is life sciences (Pharma, bio, and med tech) with practice emphasis in commercialization (ie, market strategy, portfolio management, forecasting and pricing), M&A, and valuation.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes I would. It has personal meaning and a professional meaning so best of both worlds.
Advice for others:
Make it something unique, fun/identifiable and either relatable professionally or personally.
Outthinker
Website: outthinker.com
Founder: Kaihan Krippendorff (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2010
Story behind the name:
I had named it boring names, “Strategy Learning Center” and “Kai Method.” But I wrote a book called Outthink the Competition and found people really resonated with Outthink. The Outthink domain was not available but Outthinker was, so I took it. I really glad I went with Outthinker rather than Outthink as it puts the client on the pedestal, rather than us or the verb “outthink,” as I think most good brands should do.
Focus of the firm:
Strategy and innovation.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes. Definitely. I would have chosen it earlier.
Advice for others:
Find a name that immediately makes sense to someone who has never heard of you before. Don’t pick some clever reference to esoteric terms that people won’t get but you will enjoy explaining later at a client meeting because you may never get to that meeting. Pick something they see and immediately resonate with.
Philoway Consulting
Website: philowayconsulting.com
Founder: Franck Nassiri (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2016
Story behind the name:
I observed that successful entrepreneurs and managers conduct their business with philosophy. This philosophy is used to craft an organization culture and strategy that would favor organizational performance.
Focus of the firm:
Industry focus.
Looking back on the decision:
I would chose the same name.
Advice for others:
The consulting practice name could carry or not a meaning. What matters is to practice by skills and conviction.
Pine Table Partners
Website: pinetablepartners.com
Founder: Ted Grozier (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
I work at a pine table made in 1860. I didn’t want anything with my name or initials, but rather wanted to evoke a New England feel. The “partners” part was meant to signify my partnership with clients, rather than a group of consultants.
Focus of the firm:
ESG/sustainability for mid-market companies.
Looking back on the decision:
I occasionally get requests to make a table, but otherwise the name has worked well.
Advice for others:
Try to keep your URL to eight letters or fewer.
Pink Frog Interactive, Inc.
Website: pinkfroginteractive.com
Founder: Tammy Fritz (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2004
Story behind the name:
I wrote a blog post on this subject.
Why we chose the name Pink Frog Interactive:
- Pink: It’s the color of happiness. Pink Frog brings joy to our clients and their customers. Joy is evoked in design with micro-interactions and an understanding of your users. Repeated strikes of an emotion cause it’s perceived intensity to increase. Happiness turns into joy after repeated positive interactions. Users remember the peak and endpoint of any experience. We focus on understanding your users’ emotions and finding out what constitutes exceptional customer experience. Happy users are more trusting and loyal.
- Frog: They are symbols of joy, luck, money, prosperity, abundance, wealth, and friendship in many cultures. Used as an amulet and talisman, they are strongly linked with transformation and magic and are believed to bring good luck. They are the magic in fairy tales and the secret ingredient in magic spells. The three-legged money frog, wealth frog, and lucky frog are three of the five Chinese gods that offer protection against misfortune and enrich a business or household in wealth. According to ancient Feng Shui beliefs, placing a frog near you dispels evil and attracts wealth. Frogs are the happily ever after in fairy tales. If you kiss a frog, it turns into a prince. Frogs are the only animal that can only move forward and not backward. They can see in all directions without moving their head. A frog is often the elixir in magic potion.
- Interactive: Because we improve interactions at each touchpoint in your customers’ journey. We help you leap over your competition. We interact with you, your customers and your stakeholders to help you:
- Tame complexity of your products or services.
- Deliver innovative products and services that your customers love.
- Decrease customer support calls.
- Communicate complex information.
- Help your customers intuitively navigate your product and services.
- Help you understand how your customers learn and make decisions.
- Help you understand how your customers define what constitutes an exceptional customer service.
- Raise customer satisfaction scores.
- Raise net promoter scores.
- Gain more trust and loyalty from your customers.
- Raise stock prices – companies that invest in design outperform 2 to 1. The key differentiator in companies is a positive customer experience. Customers choice products and services that are easy and joyful to use.
Behold! The power of design.
Focus of the firm:
Pink Frog Interactive is a user experience design and design research consultancy. We partner with our clients to design products, services and improve customer experiences. We specialize in making complex processes, interactions and information clear. Some of our end clients have included TE Connectivity (Tyco), McKesson, Danaher, Cytiva, Highmark, Captital Blue, RiteAid, North Shore LIJ, Developmental Dimensions International (DDI), Carnegie Mellon University, and many more.
Looking back on the decision:
I would have shorted it to just Pink Frog but that was already taken but not used. Once I inquired about the domain pink frog, the owner put it up for auction and has tried to sell it to me for thousands of dollars over the last 17 years. Lesson learned – If you want a taken name, sit quietly and wait for it to become available. I would also do more design research on the name in retrospect surveying potential customers.
Advice for others:
Make it short and memorable. Put what you do in the name. Make sure the logo scales from a matchbook to a billboard. Compare it alongside other logos.
Premonio
Website: premonio.com
Founder: Johannes Hoech (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2021
Story behind the name:
1) I focused on the core aspect of my business, which was improving the way B2B startups manage their growth planning, which heavily relies on a more scientific approach to forecasting.
2) Bought a bottle of red wine 🙂 and started collecting all sorts of words that are related to growth, revenue planning, and forecasting. This included also looking at words in other languages besides English; for me specifically that meant Latin and German.
3) Out of that effort came a lengthy list of possible names, which I then tested against which URLs with that name would still be available, esp. with the “.com” suffix.
4) That yielded a list of about 8 candidates that I then sent to about 15 people for market acceptance testing. From those winners I picked 3 finalists and did one more round of acceptance testing via a mini-survey.
5) Through that process the name “Premonio” came out as the clear winner. A) it’s derived from a Latin origin for forecasting (the word “premonition” also comes from the same root), and so has relevant symbolism. B) I liked the phonetic similarity to “Pre-Money”, which helped further symbolize my business’ focus on B2B startups.
6) Since then the name has done very well; people like it, it’s easy to remember, and it’s unique.
Focus of the firm:
We do “Growth Architecting”; i.e. take companies through a structured and scientific revenue growth planning and performance management process, including the subsequent B2B revenue pipeline delivery. I.e. we scientifically plan and then also deliver B2B revenue growth through a combination of proprietary software coupled with strategy and implementation consulting.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, love the name and it does very well in the market.
pro cedo
Website: pro-cedo.de
Founder: Michael Rasper (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2001
Story behind the name:
- The name should be “positive.”
- It should be artificial.
- It should pronounce in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
- It should available as a domain.
- It should be able to register as an European brand.
- “Surname” and “Partner” don’t work at all.
Focus of the firm:
Lean management and industrial planning.
Looking back on the decision:
It still works.
Advice for others:
Make your own checklist before. The domain is important.
Product Tranquility
Website: producttranquility.com
Founder: Dan Balcauski (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
Two parts:
- Product: I started my practice as a generalist Product Manager for hire (a bad model I’ve learned!) I wanted to focus on serving Product leaders and B2B software organizations with a need for help in many areas a Product Leader needs to manage.
- Tranquility: I’ve become a dedicated Vipassana meditator. I’ve found through my practice that our mind is inevitably unsettled, either focused either on the past or the present. In the product world, there is always a new hill to climb, another metric to surpass, another feature to deliver. My original intention in highlighting “Tranquility” in my name was a) as a reminder to me of this truth and b) a focus on bringing peace of mind to my clients as a core value.
Focus of the firm:
B2B SaaS Pricing.
Looking back on the decision:
It took me a while to hone in on my fishing line. The generic nature of my company name allowed me the room to change my fishing line and positioning without constant rebranding. Now, it could be more focused, but I don’t know if it matters that much.
RAV Consulting Group
Website: ravconsultinggroup.com
Founder: Chris Kirsch (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2021
Story behind the name:
I wanted something simple, catchy, and professional – obviously 🙂 When brainstorming I liked the level of ambiguity in abbreviations and the mechanism they provide to sometimes ‘break the ice’ with potential clients.
Focus of the firm:
U.S. and Europe. Strategy, Operations, Transformations, Healthcare, Digital, (tech, Saas, etc,) Manufacturing, Automotive.
Advice for others:
Take time to think about it and don’t take it too seriously!
Ready About LLC
Website: readyaboutllc.com
Founder: Mark Berns (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2008
Story behind the name:
I’m a sailor and sailboat racer and was looking for a nautical-sounding name for my organization development consulting practice. A sailboat skipper calls out “Ready About” to the crew to alert them to a change in direction and to ascertain their readiness for that change. Seemed better than all the compass-related names I could come up with.
Focus of the firm:
I work with organizations to tackle organization and process design issues before they make technology investments, and then provide strategic tech guidance.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I like the name. It’s got a reasonable rationale.
Advice for others:
Avoid the trite but be descriptive (or at least support your origin story).
For me it was applying the playbook I use for customers for my own entity. I have now created this into an asset that I have shared and helped other startups, entrepreneurs create a re-imagined brand and positioning.
This involved curating a brand identity, a persona, defining the purpose, value, vision and charter, crystalizing the offerings, value to customer, resonates with key principles etc. Along with keyword trend analytics (Google Trends, Semrush, CPC and SEO score, potential cost of paid ads, etc.), exemplars, contender analysis, feedback from past clients.
And importantly, ensuring the domain name is available, is within 20characters, has easy cognition and recall and can be used with any extension (.com, .IO etc.)
Focus of the firm:
Three core services:
- Strategy Consulting
- Product Management and Marketing
- Growth and Transformation
Global, Agnostic of specific industries: I work with multiple industries — BFS, insurance, healthcare and life sciences, high-tech, retail, hospitality, airlines, transportation, logistics, medical devices, professional services, etc. I work with Enterprises, ISVs, SMBs, Startups, and Non-Profits.
Looking back on the decision:
Vision 20/20 would still be the same. Even in the future if some assets were to be productized and spin-off as an individual brand, the overarching company name and brand still stands the test and is therefore inclusive and viable for the foreseeable future.
Advice for others:
It’s not just about the name — think about this as a complete persona, the image you want to project your purpose, your brand promise. It has to be a holistic thinking and crafting the complete brand identity.
Nothing very creative. R for Ruiz, F for Funes, and my 1st personal entrepreneurial venture (not really meant to be a statement of primacy), equals RF1 Consulting. Where it becomes interesting is that my client at the time was a company called sg2, based on the initials of the founder and the company’s second incarnation. Subliminal influence? The parallel with “2001: A Space Odyssey” is uncanny.
Focus of the firm:
Growth, strategy, organization.
Advice for others:
All the good names are already taken. Sorry. Deal with it.
Sarah Bee Talent
Website: sarahbeetalent.com
Founder: Sarah Brock (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2021
Story behind the name:
I initially filed my LLC under my full name — Sarah Brock Consulting. I decided to rebrand in 2021 and chose SARAHBEE Talent. At the time, I still wanted an aspect of my name in the practice, but I wanted to ensure it had something related to talent to help people quickly connect what I do.
Most of my life I’ve been “Sarah B.” given the proliferation of babies named Sarah in the 80s. I decided that SARAHBEE Talent was a play on that, but with the added imagery of bees. I liked the idea of several other elements I could then bring into the name (e.g. a group coaching program I call The Hive), and visually felt it lent itself to a lot of options. I had a few other options (a few of which were probably better), but the domains either were not available or were priced incredibly high.
Focus of the firm:
Talent consulting for school districts and education nonprofits across the United States.
Looking back on the decision:
Probably not. I think the name is too cutesy for a professional consulting brand, and it won’t work as well if/when I scale and add more staff. I wish I had spent more time thinking through options that were clever but did not necessarily include my name.
A friend/mentor that I’d known only for a short while came up with it. I had shared with her that I didn’t want to use my name or initials for the name of my company/practice but was struggling to find a name that wasn’t already taken. I was ready to give up and just use my initials; she replied, “no, I’m not going to let you do that. I’m going to hold you accountable to your goal.” She rattled off my strengths and how I help my clients and then noted that on the wall behind me I had a number of flags in shadow boxes, which she saw every time we met online (the only way we’d met given we were connected during the early stages of the Covid pandemic). “I think you should call it Shadowbox.” And that’s how the name Shadowbox Consulting was born.
Lesson learned: surround yourself with people that know you well enough, will support you in holding yourself accountable to your goals and dreams. Share your struggles and be open to their counsel.
Focus of the firm:
Insights and Marketing Consulting leveraging data and analytics to identify growth opportunities. I have clients in multiple industries around the globe.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, definitely would keep it.
Advice for others:
Think about what you want your practice to look like in 5-10 years. Does the name still fit? Does it give you flexibility to evolve yet provide a connection to what it is your practice/brand stands for? Is it easy to pronounce?
Shiftingly LLC
Website: shiftingly.com
Founder: Houria Bellatif (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
I went through a number of naming possibilities around consulting, coaching, leaders, process optimization, progression, shift, and change. I held conversations with friends and colleagues and I polled several people in my network for feedback.
I considered various drivers to decide:
- Meaningful: I am here to support others to shift progressively at their own pace.
- Adaptive and flexible: To possibly fit both my consulting and coaching engagements.
- One word that is somewhat easy to remember.
- Short/medium size.
That is how Shiftingly was born.
Focus of the firm:
Business process optimization multicultural.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I would keep the name.
Simpel and Associates
Website: simpelandassociates.com
Founder: Nathan Gampel (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2016
Story behind the name:
I named my practice after the one person who never stopped believing in me… My wife.
Focus of the firm:
Industry: financial services, media and private equity.
Function: product management, transformation.
Geographic: global, U.S.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I would keep the name.
Advice for others:
Think hard enough about your why and the name will come.
Soir Bleu s.r.l.
Website: sorbleu.com
Founder: Marco Piacentino (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2012
Story behind the name:
I love contemporary art and particularly certain American authors such as Rothko, Pollock, and Edward Hopper. Despite Soir Bleu (Blue Night) is not the best Hopper piece, I loved the name in French (he lived in Paris about four years during first world war and painted Soir Bleu in that period) and the fact that I could name my company in contrast with a dominant Anglo-Saxon trend (also when English is not their strongest spot).
In my website I associate Soir Bleu to other authors (Van Gogh, Ekstroem) that reproduced the equilibrium, sense of calm and depth that blue skies provoke in our mind. This is the way we conduct our projects.
Focus of the firm:
Mostly M&A with a significant component of management consulting when companies need to be prepared before an exit of their current shareholders.
Looking back on the decision:
I am happy with the name.
Advice for others:
I think that we are somewhat abusing of such terms as “global” “strategic” “international” etc. Some creativity in choosing a name may help create a distinctive positioning.
Sorium Group
Website: soriumgroup.com
Founder: John Kennedy (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
Prior to consulting, I was a CMO for several companies and through that experience learned the power of naming as a story-telling device. A name should not just be a convenient handle or telegraph value, it should be a conversation starter and a tool for explaining the deeper meaning of a company. Ideally it should be interesting and provide room to grow. Too often companies “outgrow” their name and require a change which is cumbersome and expensive.
The word “sorium” exists within science fiction — it is a rare element found in the core of certain planets. It is a natural source of energy. When refined, it becomes a fuel consumed by engines to propel starships and missiles. I named my consulting practice “Sorium Group” as a way to take inspiration from this idea of tapping into natural energy. Specifically, when mined, discovered and refined — strategic clarity and vision is a source of explosive energy for organizations and leaders. I help organizations find that, and so sorium was an interesting handle for that.
Focus of the firm:
Digital, marketing transformation across B2B tech-enabled service industries. US focused.
Looking back on the decision:
I would choose the same name.
Advice for others:
Think hard about creating a name that can be a vessel for story-telling and provides room to grow.
Sovida LLC
Website: sovidallc.com
Founder: Daniel Marks (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
We had a family holding company that I had used as a legal entity for my consulting practice that was named after my parents’ 1st grandkid. After we dissolved that company, I figure why not name a new company as a mash up of the names of my daughter, wife and the “DA” from my name.
Focus of the firm:
Media and Entertainment, business development and strategy, worldwide.
Looking back on the decision:
Name seems fine.
Advice for others:
Go beyond just using your name.
Based on an organization in the science fiction novels of Iain M. Banks.
Focus of the firm:
Operations and strategy, mostly focused on financial and business services.
Looking back on the decision:
I would keep the name.
Sundaram is my husband’s last name. When we first established the LLC, he was going to be the one using it — it didn’t become my consulting company until two years later. Honestly, It was just the quick and efficient choice. Sundaram means ‘beautiful’, and my ‘after the fact’ rationalization is that I help develop ‘beautiful’ operating systems for my clients.
Focus of the firm:
Operations — industry agnostic.
Looking back on the decision:
I’m pretty certain I would have tried to come up with something else if I had known I would be using it myself eventually, but I’m actually kind of glad it went the way it did — I don’t think I would have done better, really! I’m glad I inherited a clean, simple and straightforward name — I have a sense that it’s easily accepted as an entity that is ‘hire-able’.
Tamarack Investment Partners, LLC
Website: tamarackinvest.com
Founder: Paul Rubens (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2014
Story behind the name:
When it came time to leave the corporate world and “hang my own shingle”, so to speak, I wanted a name that represented where I was from, was well-suited to my industry and had a connection to nature. I chose the name of a North American larch tree, Tamarack, because it was the name of the street that ran between the back gate of my elementary school in San Carlos, CA and our church. After 20 years living and working throughout Asia, I was coming home and I wanted to recognize that. Tamarack is also relatively straightforward to pronounce in Japanese. Lastly, as a nationally competitive tennis player, I have been heartened that two of my tennis heroes, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, at one point owned the Tamarack Resort in Idaho.
Focus of the firm:
We help start-up and emerging alternatives managers, many of whom are Asia-based, market their investment services to institutional investors in North America.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes. Perhaps I could have obtained a better URL than tamarackinvest.com, but overall, I have received positive feedback and have liked having the name.
Advice for others:
Pick something that is personally meaningful for you.
Tessi Consulting
Website: tessiconsulting.com
Founder: Christie Lindor (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
Tessi Consulting is named in honor of my late mother. Her name is Itesse and I knew that from a branding perspective, it might be difficult for people to correctly pronounce her name so I did a play on the letters and came up with Tessi. I named my firm after her because when she was alive, I was adamant about staying on an aggressive partner path at larger consulting houses and she always saw me succeeding with my own firm given my independent spirit. She called made the prediction over 15 years ago and I wanted to honor her and her belief in my ability to succeed in forging my own path.
Focus of the firm:
Diversity equity inclusion services for mid & large size professional services, technology, real estate, and life sciences industries.
Looking back on the decision:
Short answer is no. I go back and forth about if it should be called Tessie Consulting, but Tessi felt like a better branding fit.
Advice for others:
Go with your gut, it has to feel right, be memorable/easy to be consumed, and you have to feel proud every time you hear clients say your company name.
The Deerborne Group
Website: thedeerbornegroup.com
Founder: Jeffrey Jones (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
Over the years, I spent a considerable amount of time at my family’s vacation home in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. I spent a great deal of time swimming in the lake, fly fishing in local streams, hiking in the surrounding hills, and skiing in the local mountains. It was not unusual to see fish jumping in the early morning, eagles soaring overhead during the day, or see deer in the late afternoon walking down to the lake to drink. In the mountains I gained an appreciation for wildlife and their connection to nature.
Deer was always my favorite. Specifically, it was their calmness, sense of family, and their connection to nature that intrigued me the most. One of the things that always fascinated me most about deer was the male’s ability to shed its antlers each winter only to have them grow back in the spring, appearing to be reborn anew. Having gained an appreciation for a number of outdoor activities in the mountains, to this day I remain an avid alpinist.
Besides being made from solid rock and earth, mountains are landforms that always rise above their surroundings. Their peaks reach towards the heavens and evoke a certain calm and even stillness. They don’t move and thus are the ultimate symbol of stability. Having climbed rock, ice, and summited mountains all over the world, it made perfect sense to use my appreciation of both deer and mountains as symbols to convey stability, calmness, and trustworthiness as I ventured to start The Deerborne Group. Hence “Deerborne,” coupled with the mountain graphic, just felt right and thus the perfect pairing when naming the new company.
Focus of the firm:
We advise corporate, venture capital, and private equity clients focused exclusively on the biotech, in-vitro diagnostic, and life sciences. We help them identify opportunities, minimize risks, and how best to navigate their most difficult management challenges.
Looking back on the decision:
Love the name!
Advice for others:
Take your time. First things first. Start with your business plan. This exercise alone should give you insights into your mission, vision, and values. There’s a lengthy and rigorous process for developing a company or brand name but suffice to say, come up with a dozen possible names or so.
Start by searching the internet to see if those names already exist or are available (bounce several ideas off family and friends). Once you find a name that fits, it’s fairly inexpensive to grab a domain (check out godaddy.com to find the perfect name, domain, etc). Lastly, I’ll suggest you apply and register your trademark (i.e. name, logo, etc) with the USPTO to ensure that you aren’t inadvertently infringing on someone else’s trademark.
The Maonach Group, Inc.
Website: maonach.com
Founder: Tim Mooney (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2011
Story behind the name:
Our delivery model centers on advisory services rather than consulting services. This differentiation is rooted in our focus on helping leaders and teams understand the work needed to change their organization so that they may successfully execute that work, not have a team of consultants deliver the work of organizational change as a set of deliverables. In naming our firm, we concentrated on this difference — the wisdom of seasoned advisors over the capacity of consultants to produce deliverables.
As the original founder, I looked for something that highlighted the wisdom of advisory and was anchored in my sense of self. In researching my surname, “Mooney”, I uncovered its source deep in the Irish Annals. Maonach was a 9th century Irish bishop who served as advisor to the King of Leinster. There are three short passages that reference Maonach which collectively give rise to his legacy being known as someone with a deep wisdom and fiercely loyal. Over the medieval period, this legacy lent meaning to an emerging Gaelic surname (O’Maonaigh, “a descendant of Maonach”) who’s heraldic symbology included a salamander (representing loyalty) overlaying an oak tree (representing wisdom) on a white field. In the emerging linguistic tradition, an adjective emerged “maoineach” which was used to describe an individual considered to have a “wealth of wisdom”.
Given our focus on advisory relationships with leaders and executives, rather than deliverable-focused consulting engagements, the rich story behind Maonach and the direct lineage of that story to myself as Founder made sense. Secondarily, we recognized the opportunity with this brand backstory to develop “Maonach” into its own stand alone “voice” or persona for communicating our philosophy and perspective on organizational development and change — rooted in a wisdom practice.
Focus of the firm:
We focus on Organizational Development, Strategy Execution, and Change Leadership/Management. Our work focuses on organizations as complex adaptive systems and our approaches are rooted in Viable Systems Theory. We do not have an industry or geography focus.
Looking back on the decision:
The primary drawback we consistently encounter is at first sight/engagement, people do not know how to pronounce the name. This does create some awkwardness. That said, it is quickly resolved, and for those inquisitive types it prompts a question and short story response on the origin. For this response, we’ve refined a very short story (under a minute) that covers the origin and highlights the focus on wisdom and loyalty. While we often think it would be nice to have something more “accessible” out of the gate, as time moves forward, we become more wedded to the persona we’ve chosen as our brand. So, no, we wouldn’t change it — and not sure there is anything we’d have done differently to cultivate understanding earlier in a client lifecycle.
Advice for others:
Make sure it has meaning for you. Make sure it has a compelling story that builds on what you do. Commit to what you choose. If you can’t commit to something, it’s not the right brand.
The Moirae Group, LLC
Website: themoiraeg.com
Founder: Andrea Uvanni (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2018
Story behind the name:
As a female entrepreneur and consultant, I wanted to pick a name that didn’t scream female, but still had the markings of a powerful woman leader. I’ve always been a fan of Greek mythology, and the Moirae Sisters were a constant intrigue. The Moirae sisters are spinners of fate, deciding when you’re born, the path your life takes, and when you die. With that much power to spin someone’s fate, the thought of how consulting helps in “spinning the fate” of a business or career, or made sense to take a female entity that builds and shapes futures for the business name.
Focus of the firm:
We are pharmaceutical and Life Science consultants. We focus in operations, process development/improvement, manufacturing, construction, and essentially all the business side of the world. We do not focus on advertising, financial consulting, or medical consulting (but we do do medical affairs & market access). Our geographic regions are anywhere we can call into. As a fully remote organization, our clients have ranged from Japan and Australia, to England, South Africa, India, Europe, Latin America and the US.
Looking back on the decision:
I love the name. The only reason I would consider doing it different is because it’s often mispronounced and would say it’s likely not memorable or catchy. But it means a lot and those who know it and know the work my team does, tend not to forgot it.
Advice for others:
Don’t settle until you find something that gives you that “ah ha!” moment.
The consulting practice is intended for AI-led interactive design with diversity, equality, inclusion, climate action, and engagement as its main themes. The name evokes both a visual and a perception. At a deeper level I am a lay Buddhist and the rainbow body is a phenomenon both per Dzogchen, as a level of realization, and Tibetan Buddhism, manifested in the body of monks, during life and upon death.
Focus of the firm:
Interactive AI Design.
Looking back on the decision:
The only potential drawback I may experience is that it may not appeal to future generations.
Advice for others:
With the ability to create pages on other professional social medial platforms such as LinkedIn, etc. one should envision stand-alone value propositions of one’s services which link back to the main practice. In this way you are compelled to create value which also has the potential to be unlocked in ways specific to it.
The Tempest Group
Website: thetempestgroup.com
Founder: Jon Cobb (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2020
Story behind the name:
A tempest is a violent wind storm. You might consider Porter’s 5 forces to be winds pushing companies in different directions. The market is also constantly changing because of new technologies. Instead of fighting those winds of change, I help companies set their sales to them. I’m also preparing to row across the Atlantic Ocean in the next 18 months, so wind storms are on my mind a lot.
Focus of the firm:
I’ve primarily done organizational transformation, but I’m moving into business and life coaching, which has been more rewarding.
Looking back on the decision:
I might switch over to Jon Cobb Coaching because people identify with personal brands more than corporate brands and my work is shifting to coaching.
Advice for others:
Make it something that you personally resonate with. Something that has a story behind it. It could be a street or a park name from your hometown. Don’t pick something random because you think it will sound impressive.
I wanted something personal, but that wasn’t my specific name. I felt like using my own name would be difficult because it’s hard to pronounce + it may limit others joining and feeling like there was room for them to create something bigger. My family is important to me, so I picked the first initials of my siblings and combined them into TILT then added the Co. I like the use of the word TILT as it also fit into my line of work — helping leaders ’tilt’ company performance by changing how they engage and interact with team members.
Focus of the firm:
Strategy, Leadership, Change Management across all sectors.
Looking back on the decision:
I still love the personal nature of the name, so would have stayed with same principles. I didn’t invest enough time early on in thinking through competing domains. So find that I sometimes run into issues with a non-competitive company in Canada by the same name.
Advice for others:
Have fun with it! And, there is no perfect name. Over time, your brand and work will give it meaning.
The phrase Tour De Force always had me intrigued as it was very similar sounding to Tour De France… but when I looked up the meaning — an ingenious creation or n impressive performance or achievement that has been accomplished or managed with great skill — it really stuck with me throughout my working career until I formed my company. I added “Advisors” at the end to be a bit to conjure consulting related meaning.
Focus of the firm:
Procurement and Supply Chain Management.
Looking back on the decision:
There are other names I did consider, which were more playful/abstract (think tech company names), but ultimately, I stayed with Tour De Force because there was a relation doing work that has significant impact to the client.
Advice for others:
It’s a very personal choice, however preference is to use names that are related to the type of work provided/practice area. Playful names can also be very memorable.
Treyeo, LLC
Website: treyeo.com
Founder: Lynda Tonery (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2019
Story behind the name:
In a strategy consulting practice, I wanted to emphasize a focus on guiding clients in a forward direction. The old Gaelic word for direction or guidance is TREO. Unfortunately, it was already taken so I wrote it as it sounds phonetical and arrived at TREYEO.
Focus of the firm:
Focus is on all industries and typically within Technology. We emphasize the importance of our clients being directed by strategy and guided closely throughout the process. Areas of focus are digital transformation, business transformation, and data strategy.
Looking back on the decision:
Yes, I’m happy with it although I do have to spell it out when speaking the name to someone, it’s not that clear and easy to decipher.
Advice for others:
There are lots of engines available online, e.g., www.businessnamemaker.com, to come up with a unique name but so many of these domains are already taken too. I found using a combination of these sites plus asking friends to be the best guide.
Two Bays Consulting
Website: twobays.com
Founder: Mark Carrington (LinkedIn)
Year founded: 2001
Story behind the name:
A former colleague called his firm Sixhills Consulting. I looked out the window and could see two bays — one over Manly wharf and one on the ocean side. Two Bays it was.
Focus of the firm:
Top management consulting.
Looking back on the decision:
Name was fine as it was not protected in Australia — there is a firm in San Francisco. Was able to register twobays.com and protect name in my jurisdiction. Those checks are important.
Advice for others:
Don’t sweat it — make a choice, get the dot com. Do it.
My professional focus is on VALUE creation (identify, design and drive value creation programs) I am passionate about different cultures, geographic locations, and LANGUAGES (I speak 6+ languages) Value in Esperanto (internationally constructed language) is Valoron. Hence Valoron Partners, LLC.
Focus of the firm:
Identify value creation potential, align management teams, and drive the value creation program(s) for mid-sized companies.
Functional focus: broad value creation capabilities across all value drivers.
Industry focus: Technology, Industrials, Pharma, and Private Equity.
Geographic focus: global (extensive work experience across all continents, and fluent in 6 languages).
Looking back on the decision:
I would choose the same name.
Advice for others:
- Be creative.
- Take your time.
- Identify what you stand for in single words.
- I don’t think there is a magic “recipe” for naming an entity.
- Admin detail: consult the database in your state to check availability of intended name for your entity.
I wanted a name that was short (seven characters or less) and had no specific meaning but had the sense of an organization of unspecified size. It had to of course be available as a legal company name and not a domain that was taken. I deliberately did not include my name nor any reference to “consulting” for future flexibility.
Focus of the firm:
Management consulting across several sectors. UK based but global in scope.
I always like the word Exergy, wanted a simple name and one that could be easily aligned with a domain. Hence XRG1.
Focus of the firm:
XRG1 offers Information Technology (IT) leadership, as advisors / consultants, and SMEs, to internal, cross-functional and cross-company teams. We provide identification, planning, delivery, support and maintenance of on-time quality solutions involving people, technology and process.
Areas of specialization include (but are not limited to):
- Disaster Recovery (IT Business Continuity)
- IT Leadership
- Enterprise systems
- Policy development and program creation/execution
- Project, Product and Program management
- [ITIL] Service Management (ITSM) tools and processes
- Transformations
Looking back on the decision:
I would have liked to not need the number at the end. The biggest lesson related to using a 3rd party to register a domain. DON’T. I had another name, but decided not to use a 3rd party, and mysteriously the name was taken and that firm was willing to sell it to me.
Compounded two simple, common words that describe my area of expertise.
Focus of the firm:
Food, health & wellness strategy.
Looking back on the decision:
No regrets.
Advice for others:
Don’t use your own name, it may come across as lazy and transactional.
