A little bit of fun, but here are some of the reasons why I called my company Mashuni.

On a more serious note – is a company name important?

Well, a business name is often the first contact that a customer has with your business. It should either have relevance, be obvious, be memorable or create an impact by being different or unusual. I chose the latter and whenever I meet new people the first question I often get asked is where did my company name come from – ice broken, conversation started but there is so much more to a name than that.

A good business name gives an identity to your business and creates a feeling of value for your customers. It allows people to identify with the products and services being offered by your company easily and enables them to remember you. Of course, you need to offer exemplary services, products and above all, customer care, for the memory to be a positive one but assuming this is a given, good things will be associated with your company name and everything your company stands for.

If your company name is obscure then it should also have a positioning tagline associated with it so that people know what your business is about. For example, Mashuni’s tagline is “a very creative design agency”. So when thinking of a company name makes sure it’s either obvious or relevant to the services you provide like AB Builders Ltd or DC Cloud Solutions, or obscure/different to create impact and allow you to stand out from your competition.

It’s the first building block in your company’s creation and if it’s off it could have a negative impact on everything your company subsequently does. To put it simply, it’s more than just a name; it’s the identity of an entire brand.