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DPChallenge Forums >> Business of Photography >> How to Pick a Business Name
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01/05/2008 03:28:04 PM · #1
I need help coming up with a business name.

I have been taking hockey photos for both the local university, and also the youth programs for about a year now. I am ready to create my own business name and website to make marketing of my images much easier and more accessible. At first, I though about just using my name, Scott Cooley Photography, but that makes for one really long URL and email address. I already searched for scp.com, and scphoto.com and they are unavailable. So I want to come up with a name that is catchy and short. I mostly do hockey photos, so a catchy name involving something hockey might work well. I don't do any other sports yet. That may change in the future, and if it does, then I may have to go through this process again, but that's OK.

So, just to say it again, I'm looking for a business name, probably hockey centered, but general sports might work too. It needs to be short and catchy, and I will have to make sure that an appropriate domain is also available.

And in return, I will donate a year-membership to whoever comes up with a name that I can use.

Thanks in advance for all of the suggestions.

Scott
01/05/2008 03:31:45 PM · #2
PuckItPhoto ???
01/05/2008 03:33:05 PM · #3
I'm not a big fan of photographers and DBAs .. I think (and this is just my opinion) that you should be willing to back your work with your name as an artist. Most "business names" photographers come up with, to me, seem contrived and trite. Things like "Focus on Me" just bug the living hell out of me.

Scott Cooley Photography works for me. ScottCooley.com also works for me, or CooleyPhotography...

Message edited by author 2008-01-05 15:33:36.
01/05/2008 03:37:42 PM · #4
I'm not against the idea of using my name, but every website imagineable is taken, with the exception of scottcooleyphotography.com. My experience with marketing on the web is that, the easier the page/name are to remember and type, the more hits and buys you get.
01/05/2008 03:39:16 PM · #5
IceCoolphotography.com or CoolPhotography.com

01/05/2008 03:42:10 PM · #6
For a specialized niche business, I think a "catchy" name is just fine. When you become a more general photographer, then you can use the longer domain name and redirect the catchy one to a portion of it, and then go with, say, "RinkShots" for the hockey images?

R.

ETA" RinkShots is available. Go for it.

Message edited by author 2008-01-05 15:56:40.
01/05/2008 04:23:49 PM · #7
I really like Rinkshots.com I think that is a very catchy name. You could also purchase scottcooleyphotography.com that way as you expand in the future you could have multiple sites that foward to your main site.
01/05/2008 04:30:04 PM · #8
I really like rinkshots also. I already purchased scottcooleyphotography.com last year, and I will maintain that one as well, and probably just forward that to rinkshots, if I stick with that. I purchased the domain, just in case, but will wait a day or two to see if there are any other better suggestions out there. If not, I'll be contacting Robert. Thanks.
01/05/2008 10:03:46 PM · #9
Each state varies a bit, but once you find a name you like you'll have to file a 'DBA' with the state, probably a legal notice in the newspaper and perhaps more. You need a paper from the state regarding the name and DBA for opening a bank account, filing taxes, etc.

Here in PA to be "Scott Cooley Photography" requires absolutely nothing.

I went the simple way, long web name or not.

I figure one day to have a studio and may very likely come up with a more 'corporate' name by then. A longtime photographer around here kind of split the difference - "Studio Baden - Photography by Sam Palaia" He recently retired and sold his studio, now it's Studio Baden - Photography by John Homich (baden being the town he's in)

Just some thoughts.
01/05/2008 10:10:35 PM · #10
To sum up, DBAs can be a royal PITA. Honestly, your domain name doesn't have to be yours or your businesses name...

Although I haven't used it, I own damnimgoodphotography.com :-d Want it? But seriously, you could have cooleyphoto.com, scphotos.com, photosbysc.com ... whatever is available and easy to remember. You don't have to have DBAs for URLs.

Message edited by author 2008-01-05 22:10:57.
01/05/2008 10:40:24 PM · #11
How about "Puckshots"?
01/05/2008 10:45:24 PM · #12
slapshot images
slapshot photography
etc.

face off photos

hat trick photography or images, or photos, etc

4th period photos

body check images

01/05/2008 10:45:53 PM · #13
You don't need a DBA for a domain name.

R.
01/05/2008 10:48:26 PM · #14
ooh, one more

center ice images

ok, maybe more than one more :-)

third string images

In the cage images

01/05/2008 11:40:44 PM · #15
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

You don't need a DBA for a domain name.

R.


No,but to cash a check made to that name you do.
You can tell everyone you meet a different name - but that's exactly the opposite of every piece of advice every business advisor and marketing person will tell you. The more names you have the more biz cards, websites, and otehr paraphenalia you need. It will confuse the consumer, dilute your brand and your marketing dollar.

Confusion in the mind of the customer will not put money in your pocket.
01/06/2008 03:37:21 AM · #16
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

You don't need a DBA for a domain name.

No,but to cash a check made to that name you do.

that's quite an assumption that a customer would make a check out to your domain name, though i'm sure stranger things have happened...

i'm Skip Rowland Photography, Inc. my main domain is www.skippix.biz, but i have a number of other domains to manage photography for different institutional clients. No one has ever been 'confused' about who they are dealing with. They either pay by credit card or make a check out to the name on the invoice...
01/23/2008 08:30:38 PM · #17
I despise "first name last name photography". And market research shows so do consumers, because a vast majority of photography business names are just that, first name last name photography. Boring and common, thoughtless. Flip through your local yellow pages and you'll see there are far too many.

That being said, names involving "clever" phrases are pretty terrible, too. "Forever Memories" and sentimental attempts are also pretty horrible.

Your name is unique enough that it would be not as overlooked by your average consumer, however.

If your goal is to be reached by the public, everyman and everywoman, it's best to come up with something unique or eye catching, interesting. In most cases, you're far better off even making something up (Kodak, for example) rather than use first name last name.

01/23/2008 08:47:03 PM · #18
puckpix??
01/23/2008 09:20:04 PM · #19
Shutter Puck
Snap Shot
Pucketure (that blows...)
Skateaway Photography

Homer Simpson made it big with "Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net" (until Bill Gates shut him down). :)
01/23/2008 10:25:22 PM · #20
Originally posted by redsunphotography:

I despise "first name last name photography". And market research shows so do consumers,

damn, i wish i had come to you first. please, direct me to this market research you're talking about. i had no idea so many people despised my business name so much.

Originally posted by redsunphotography:

In most cases, you're far better off even making something up (Kodak, for example) rather than use first name last name.

i guess that's why the people that make up those names charge so much.

i guess all this naming stuff doesn't apply to other professions, like lawyers, accountants, and architects, where the business name is typically the professional's name. then again, i guess that's why all the professionals are despised--it's because they name their businesses after themselves...
01/23/2008 10:31:39 PM · #21
Fast Break Photo
Iced Images
Frozen Shots/Frozen Photo (pun on action and the ice)
Crunchtime Photography

(I like Puckshots myself)

N

Message edited by author 2008-01-23 22:31:58.
01/23/2008 10:59:35 PM · #22
www.freezeaction.com (Freeze Action) or www.actionfreeze.com

It does not talk about any specific sport and can communicate any sports (in general).
01/24/2008 12:27:44 PM · #23
Originally posted by Tej:

www.freezeaction.com (Freeze Action) or www.actionfreeze.com

It does not talk about any specific sport and can communicate any sports (in general).


Both names (at least as websites) are taken by the same outfit. It can be a real PITA to find a name that's available. You need to go to godaddy.com or similar and type in your thoughts and see what comes up.
Mine's too long, but it's easy to remember as it's my name and what I do. I had a LOT of ideas that went nowhere and ever shorter versions of my name were taken already.
01/24/2008 01:17:22 PM · #24
Puck You Photography?

j/k
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