How to choose a name for your travel business

 

Picking a name for your business can be one of the most fun steps in creating your travel business. But it can also be the most stressful. There’s so much that can’t start until you have your name. Many people get so stuck in this part that they delay getting the rest of their business up and running – sometimes by months!

I don’t want that to be you so I’m sharing my best tips below so you’ll have your business going in record time.

1. Use words that speak to your audience.

   Make sure you’ve defined your audience before choosing a name. If your audience is into shopping, being pampered on the beach, and Michelin-starred dinners, then Adventures by Amy isn’t going to speak to them, but Pampered Vacations might.

   That’s a pretty obvious example but shows just how important it is to define your audience before you settle on a name.

   PRO TIP: Pick a page in your planner, or start a new note on your phone, and keep a running list of words you love, that also speak the language of your audience. What words do they use when talking about what they want in a vacation or another special experience? What words are used by the brands they love? The websites they spend time on? The places they love to shop? Do some research and look for words you can use.

2. Choose something you love.

   If you inwardly cringe and are a little embarrassed by your business name, people will pick up on those feelings every time you tell them what you do and the name of your company. Make sure it’s something you’re proud of and can talk about with confidence.

   PRO TIP: Don’t ask your mom, or your best friend what they think of the name you like. It doesn’t matter what they think of it! And honestly, it doesn’t even matter what your audience thinks of it. What matters more than anything else is how it makes you feel. If some of my favorite brands – Apple, Google, Amazon – had asked me what I thought of the business names they were considering I would have sent them all back to the drawing board. Those names are dumb! But I’m still a huge fangirl of every one of those companies.

3. Don’t make it too long or complicated.

   Don’t use hyphens or numbers in place of letters or words. And don’t use cute spellings unless you’re prepared to explain over and over and over again how to spell it. Remember that whatever you use you’re going to have to tell people and you’re going to want them to remember it. Make it easy on yourself.

4. Don’t use your niche in the name.

   This way, if you expand or pivot you can still use the same company name. For instance, if you choose – Wine Tours by Sara, and then want to expand to beer vacations, or family travel, you’re stuck having to create a whole new company for that.

5. Make sure the .com domain is available.

   Check Google Domains to see if the business name you want is available as a .com.  If it is, buy that thing!  A shortened version is ok, just make sure you’re not making any of the mistakes mentioned in step 3.

   PRO TIP: Also check to see if the name is available on social media sites at namechk.com. Go immediately to those sites and reserve your name there, too.

What If the name you want isn’t available as a .com?

It’s almost impossible to find a straightforward domain name anymore. Most are in use or have been purchased by squatters who buy domains and re-sell them at extremely high prices. Here are some creative ways to create a company name that will be available as a .com domain:

• Use your name in the company name
  • by, with <first name>  (Vacations with Heather)
  • Start with your last name (Smith Vacations)
  • Use your initials in your business name – first and last name or first middle and last
  (HPJ Vacations)
• Experiment with different words 
  PRO TIP: use thesaurus .com to see what other words you can come up with
  • travel
  • vacation
  • adventure
  • journey
• Use different tenses, singular/plural/active etc.
  • Travel, Travels, Traveling
• Remember Mad Libs? Try these:
  • <adjective> <noun> by/with <your name or initials
    • Ex: Tasty Vacations by Christy
  • <Your Name>’s <adjective> <noun>
    • Ex: Christy’s Tasty Vacations

Still stuck?

Pick something crazy! 
One of the coolest travel companies I know of is called Black Tomato.  Obviously that name has nothing to do with travel but it works for them.

LET’S DO THIS!

Now get to work! Give yourself 2 days come up with your company name. If you’re really stuck, I give you permission to extend the deadline to a week – but NO LONGER THAN THAT! Mark the date in your planner, and if you haven’t settled on something by then, just choose the best of the options you’ve come up with.

Then, report back and tell me what name you’ve chosen. I can’t wait to hear it!