Company Name

[RRS]

Check out the previous post from Skaper-S2K. Most of all check out his website.

They're joking man!

[jshearer9]

I am such a dumb *** I feel so stupid right now!

haha

[Scaper-S2k]

You should!!!

[jshearer9]

Oh well...... its not the first time and i know it wont be the last!!!

[Jack D.]

Avalawn's are a dime a dozen in Ohio.

http://www.contractingdayton.com/Avalawn1.body.html

[Phil Nilsson]

jshearer9,

The name Avalawn, Havalawn, BabaLawn, GotaLawn, WantaLawn
doesn't "speak" to anything ... not like Evergreen, or GreenLawns, CuteLawns, TidyLawns ... so here's my pick ... use your own name ... don't hide your identity ... you are already known by your name in your community ... and will continue to be known by that name ... in other words name recognition.

Phil

P.S.

[Scaper-S2k]

No they aren't Jack. There were 4. But I had 2 change there name already. The one you showed Jack will be process of what could be a nasty court battle. I contacted a lawyer about it earlier in the year. I'll win though.

I was the first, and I am incorporated. So no one else can legally use the name.



P.S. Phil, I get many many people compliment on our biz name. They love it and it has a nice ring to it too. Nice try of putting it down. Obviously, you don't know anything about the word Avalon.

[Phil Nilsson]

HopaLawn, Getalawn, TweekaLawn, are all cute names ... my favorites are Ford ... Hershey ... Hilton ... Andersen ... Bradley ... Patton ... and of course Nilsson ... none of those guys would have chosen a "cute name" especially not Patton!

http://www.pattonhq.com/homeghq.html

okay take a look at Patton's sidearms ... Use your own name, Patton did.

http://www.pattonhq.com/pistols.html

Phil

P.S.

[Scaper-S2k]

You forgot, Ford should have registered the name as "Ford dot com Inc." like you have instructed before. There are a LOT of them out there!!! Now that is cute.


If you use your own personal name, and you don't have the money to back yourself in court, the judge will let anyone be Jim's Lawn Care. The comp can be right next door and use your name. Nothing you can do about it at all, unless you plan on spending thousands of dollars on lawyers. And hope that the other guy with the same personal name as yours doesn't have more money than you. Trust me, I know. The Ford, Hersey, etc. thing isn't as easy as it use to be.



P.S. *2

[Scott]

Originally posted by Phil Nilsson
jshearer9,

The name Avalawn, Havalawn, BabaLawn, GotaLawn, WantaLawn
doesn't "speak" to anything ... not like Evergreen, or GreenLawns, CuteLawns, TidyLawns ... so here's my pick ... use your own name ... don't hide your identity ... you are already known by your name in your community ... and will continue to be known by that name ... in other words name recognition.

Phil

P.S.

you forgot;
scalpalawn, dogcrapfullalawn, mowerinmytrunklawn, movealawn, etc...
Evergreen, Greenlawns, Four Seasons, Five Seasons, etc.. are all common names. It really doesn't matter what you decide to name your biz and chances are that at your age and with your limited business knowledge, your biz that you're trying to create now will dissolve in under 3years if you're skillfull enough to keep it going that long.
Now once you get your head about you in a few years, you'll have some real experience to fall on and a real sense of direction. You'll know what you did right and what you did wrong. Just ask Phil, I'm sure he's learned best how to run a biz by his failures. I'm not knockin him because he has an immeasurable amount of bizness sense but getting it out of him is like pulling teeth unless you drop the almighty dollar in his hands. He spills some now and then but he's not gonna hold your hand through an entire learning process.

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear but I see this day in and day out locally. People, young and old getting in/out of this bizness and failing because of lack of business experience; legalities, money matters, customer relations, contracts, gaining new bizness, letting problem customers go, knowing when to expand, etc...

A name is important but then again, it's what you make of it. Look at Hyundai, they have all these exotic names for their cars but however you look at it, they're still Hyundais.

Now back to your original question on a name, if you want something that will stick, try something different and out of the ordinary but catchy and memorable.

THE LAWN DAWG
THELAWNDAWGDOTCOM
THE LAWN MONKEY
THELAWNMONKEYDOTCOM

[Seascape]

Be careful using the name shearer in your name here in ohio. I dont know much about them but there is a company using the name "shearer" already here in columbus. Shearer in bright red across both doors. Seems they just popped up last year. Might wanna check this out.
mike

[Elwood]

Without stepping in the middle of this "dogcrapfullalawn" thread,
you should consider somthing that will not limit your potential growth in the future. Who knows, irrigation may be your nitche, not just mowing. I like the term "Landscape Management". It leaves the door wide open for potential services down the road.

There are pros and cons to using your name. If you use your name, you are putting your name on every job, good or bad. You are representing your company and name recognition can be a good thing. On the other hand, if you ever sell your company, you may have to sell your name. Privacy is also an issue. When you get bigger, you will want more private time. People who will know "Shearer"(then the rest of your name) and if they want you to look at something on Sunday afternoon when you are playing with your children, they may take it upon themselves to stop by your house and ask you to come over. They may also decide to call you at home at 5am or 11pm to ask for a free estimate! By leaving your name out of the company name, you are getting yourself a bit of privacy.

Personally, I like to seperate business from family life as much as possible. When I am home, I am away from it and hopefully, out of the public eye and reach.

To each his own. Things like "evergreen", "a cut above the rest", and many others have been drilled in the ground like a freshly slit seeded lawn. Try to be unique, yet simple to remember.

Good Luck!

[Phil Nilsson]

Just ask Phil, I'm sure he's learned best how to run a biz by his failures. I'm not knockin him because he has an immeasurable amount of bizness sense but getting it out of him is like pulling teeth unless you drop the almighty dollar in his hands. He spills some now and then but he's not gonna hold your hand through an entire learning process.

Scott you might like to think that I have had business failures but of course you would be wrong. Abraham Lincoln did, but not me. That's not an invitation to knock Lincoln because I think he was a good guy.

I would agree that I have a lot of business sense you're right about that. ... but so don't a lot of people, it's not a unique thing ... no big deal.

Phil

[Elwood]

Easy Nilsson, you head will POP!!

Besides, I remember a story about you being the accountant/financial advisor for a condo project, when it is half over, you recommend bankruptcy for the people running it.

If I remember correctly, "business sense" was the last thing happening at that moment.

[Phil Nilsson]

We discussed this at another forum and R.C. never could quite figure it out ... in a nutshell ... I advised the owners to do a bankruptcy to close down the job ... so that another phase of the same project could go forward ... it did and all subs on the old project got carried forward to the new project and MORE than made up for their losses ... this was a wise decision. R.C. never understood because he had no financial training ... he looked at it from an emotional point of view ... not logical point of view. In essence the army retreats for now to fight another day and win.

The bottom fell out of the condo market ... banks took a temp loss but then came back to make a big gain later so EVERYBODY came out a winner thanks to Phil's excellent financial advice. R.C. was never willing to give me credit for having done the right thing ... he wanted me to look like the "bad guy" when all the while I was the prince in shinning armor!

Phil