business name advice please

[dougie212]

Hi there

I am new to the forum.. so please go easy....

My wife and I are looking into venturing into starting our own business selling and producing bespoke vintage furniture and home decor. After batting names around and researching for what seemed like ages we settled on the name holmes sweet home. Being a family run business and our surname being holmes it seemed to fit nicely.

The domain was available, companies house found no results and google showed no one using the name...we set off and bought the domain.

Now... yesterday, i was on google yet again, and stumbled somehow across a company. Their shop front sign says home sweet home, their website is homes sweet home......

Our name is obviously spelt differently but sounds the same. Is this going to impose legal issues for us at all if we continue with holmes sweet home or should we hot the drawing board again?

Your help is very much appreciated

 

[123Simples]

Hi Dougie

I take it that it wasn't you then who drove a car into their shop window
http://www.homessweethome.co.uk/

My advice would be to look for a different domain name - the one you picked (which I can see why) also if you do a google search on that phrase will likely bring up a Hawaiian based website http://www.hilohawaiibandb.com/

So try and look at your keywords and build the domain name around that:
Your keywords would be "bespoke vintage furniture and home decor"

 

[dougie212]

thankyou for your advice!... it wasnt me..honest guv....

its so difficult as we really want to keep a family twist in the name hence us using our surname but coming up with somthing quirky and original is so difficult.

the business name generators dont help either...

 

[123Simples]

The generators seldom do come up with the right name.
Sit down again and put pen to paper - or text to notepad and just brainstorm through different variations.
Here is a good tip too..
When you think you find a name, make sure it reads properly as a domain name would be seen

By that I mean holmes sweet home reads fine as separate words, but put them together holmessweethome.co.uk and you can start to see some potential problems - two s' and not pleasing to the eye

Also avoid domain name errors http://www.boredpanda.com/worst-domain-names/

what's wrong with holmesvintagefurniture?
Does what it says on the label?

 

[dougie212]

true... i think we are almost overthinking it really....

holmes vintage decor seems to explain exactly what we do and ... as far as my searches go.... it seems available.. being the novice, mind if i ask.. is domain searching and google and companies house the best places to search for availability?

thankyou!

 

[Christine Hough]

Haven't checked it out but what about
homes from holmes

 

[WolfStores]

How about using your wife's or your christian name instead of your surname?

 

[filtee]

How about using your wife's or your christian name instead of your surname?

Doesnt that kind of defeat the reason they'd like to use Holmes?

 

[dougie212]

thankyou to everyone for your suggestions and help.....

homes from holmes was brill, but has already been taken by a holiday letting firm......

bit gutted as the whole idea is to have it as a family business using our family name, but it seems increasingly obvious that there are lots of businesses already using the holmes and home connection...

 

[jamesonaugust]

Business name is catchy and memorable. As required might conjointly be marketed to mean totally different things to completely different people. As required would possibly mean no unnecessary fees for the brick and mortar shop, no employee expenses, etc.

 

Using the name 'Holmes' you should have many options, so I'd just keep researching to see what pops up.

I'd agree with others that, if you go with your original idea, you're only making life difficult for yourself with the competitor already out there with a close-ish name.

Just look at a few different Holmes-based names and something will jump out at you.....

Holmes Decor
Bespoke Holmes
etc etc

 

[kipper57]

You might try Name Tumbler I cannot post the link as not enough posts up my sleeve

 

[Moneyman]

Holmes from homes is a lousy idea. how many people will type in the wrong thing and go to a rival? try for something that wont be missplelt.
first check the .co.uk then the com and finally companies house.

 

[Christine Hough]

Really?

I just googled " homes holmes" and did not get a single furniture entry on page 1
also "home holmes"
also "furniture holmes" nothing to rival in UK but some USA furniture manufacturers

homesfromholmes.co.uk is available and .com is a building renovation company so I don't think there is much confusion there.

I think the OP wants to play on his name, while this is not everyone's taste, it is memorable.
But I am sure someone will come along with something better soon.

 

[kipper57]

One thing to consider is the length of the name is not going to make it easy to remember, the shorter you can make it the better. I would not get too wrapped up in the personalization of it but rather describe the business in as short a domain as possible. An example a friend sharpens knives and 'isharpen' is the domain name. Short sharp, snappy, and easy to remember

 

[dougie212]

we are now thinking of maybe bringing in my wifes name and keeping it basic with a play on the word homes and holmes

carlysvintageholmes

my thought is though that is the play on homes and holmes going to make the website harder to find, as i can assume when people hear the name they will automatically assume holmes is spelt homes.... (boy this is confusing..)

Do you guys envisage internet traffic being missed through the play in words is what Im basically asking....

Thanks..

 

[yellowboxmarketing]

i like holmes sweet home but are gimmicky names too old fashioned?

 

[kipper57]

carlysclassichomes

Carlysperiodhomes

carlysvintagehomes

 

[GeoMal]

my thought is though that is the play on homes and holmes going to make the website harder to find, as i can assume when people hear the name they will automatically assume holmes is spelt homes....

This is the main problem - it doesn't pass the radio test. Think of a personal recommendation "speak to Carlys Vintage Homes" - the phonetic spelling of Holmes would have potential customers looking for the wrong business.

 

[Christine Hough]

I understand you wanting to use your names, but Carly doesn't sound like a vintage name.

Can you not go with something not related to you but just a name...
peggyshome for example

It seems as if most names using vintage have been taken but there is vintageminted

 

[Rico Plymouth]

Not checked it, but how about something simple, like family holmes?
Or if worried about mis-spelling, get a couple of domains and point them all to the same site. Eg familyholmes.XX and familyhomes.xx

 

[kipper57]

holmesvintagefurniture (period, aged), it was late last night when I posted and forgot the site is related to furniture due to the homes/holmes part of the discussion

Yes simple is good, personally I like to use the keywords in the domain but it is not that necessary anymore Google are not giving it as much weight, as times gone by

 

[amethyst201190]

A business name must be unique and different from everybody but also easy to get in mind. You can just think it all over again and brainstorm for some different names that could be possible and fits in to your business niche. Why not try for some initials of your kids + what your business is all about? Just suggesting though!

 

[dougie212]

Thankyou everyone for your help so far....

We had hit on a name... beautifully shabby... but........

domains, companies house etc are all available, but someone in the US appears to have entitled a blog beautifully shabby.. I dont see this posing any legal issues and website wise its a blog spot title so as far as company names goes, it appears there isnt one.

would you guys just take a look and see what you think about it. I really appreciate the help everyone has given so far, and people taking the time to do searches and google for us.... it is a massive help!

Regards

Dougie

 

[VSpy1]

I don't think a blog should stop you - after all, what will you do if you come up with a name that no one else has now, but 2 months down the line you discover a blog or similar name then? You're not going to change it then I suspect... Just mho

 

[Employer Labour Relations]

I think you can continue with the name you thought as if no one is using the name, I don't think there should be any issues with using the Holmes sweet home. But if I have too opt for a name for my business, I would rather go for a catchy name that is widely used around the town and that has more searches and less competition. All the best!

 

[Cleveregg]

I'm in the process of starting a new business and was stuck on a website name. For 2 weeks i'd literally spent hours on domain checker and domain generator websites.
Then I found www.namestation.com. You post your basic idea, words you would like to include or avoid and people post ideas to you.
I got 65 domain name ideas (you can specify that the domain name has to be available, has to be .co.uk or .com etc) within 48 hours.
I thought i'd thought of every combination but clearly I hadn't I got a great domain name and the twitter handle and facebook page name was available to which was a bonus.