Setting up your cake business and your company name
So you have decided to set up your cake business and you need to decide on a name. Here are some tips to think about before you decide:
• Keep it simple - Make sure it’s easy to pronounce and spell and when saying it out loud it sounds good. It can still be quirky without overcomplicating it.
• Easy to remember – You don’t want a name that’s easily forgotten. You want people to remember you.
• Reflect what you do – Try and incorporate the nature of the business and its personality. This can also be done through logos, slogans and fonts used.
• Think about future products – When choosing your cake business name don’t limit yourself. For example calling your company Kookies Cupcakes when you aren’t sure of your product line in a years time, as you may go into baking larger cakes, cookies, macarons etc. You want avoid putting yourself in a position where you have to change your company name, business cards, websites etc. which will create a lot of hassle for you in the long run.
• Brand - Remember building your brand starts with the company name so make it strong, distinctive and create a logo or slogan to differentiate yourself.
Once you have chosen your company name conduct a thorough internet search to make sure that no one else is using this name. You also want to make sure that the username is available on social media sites and the domain is still available. You can do this by going to a site such as https://namechk.com where you can conduct a search.
You should also check to see if the name has been registered with Companies House.
Once you are sure that the company name is available, you can obtain your domain (if you want to build a website), and register with companies house. One huge tip here is obtain your domain name first, as there is a possibility that if you register your business name with companies house first, third parties can find out this information and buy your domain name, and will then possibly try and sell them to you for hundreds of pounds.
Trademarking your company name is also something to consider.
A trademark is a badge of origin which can be registered in the form of a word, logo, slogan, shapes, colours, designs etc.
A trademark gives your business protection from others infringing on your company name, logo or slogan and will protect you from others using these in their business.
Let's say you have spent years building a business, acquiring new customers through your hard work and efforts, introducing new products and you are recognised as a successful brand and someone comes along and uses your company name. If you are not trademarked you simply cannot do anything and they will be profiting from your business. They can almost trick consumers into spending money with them thinking it’s your company which can have adverse effects on your business, especially if they are not providing great products or customer service. So it's definitely something to think about.
Check out my Instagram page for more top tips for your cake business @kookies_kakery
I hope this information is helpful to anyone setting up their business name and company.
