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Naming my company.

Started by Ga Mtn Man, March 05, 2012, 08:01:59 AM

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Ga Mtn Man

So I'm working on a website for my future mobile sawmilling operation and I need to choose a name; something I can also use as my domain name, so it needs to be as short as possible and easy to remember.  Commonly used words in company names around here are: Blue Ridge, Foothills, Appalachian, North GA.  I plan on servicing N. GA and parts of TN, SC, NC so I'm not sure if being too geo-specific (i just made that up) is a good idea (or maybe it doesn't matter).  Also, should I use "mobile" or "portable" and is it important to have the word "custom" in the name.  Some ideas I've come up with are:

Tim Sawyer Mobile Sawmilling  (you know, like Tom Sawyer...maybe a little to cute?  My first name is Tim)

North Georgia Custom Sawmilling

Blue Ridge Mobile Sawmilling   

Bishups Mobile Custom Sawmilling (name has been misspelled to protect my identity  ;D)

The SawMaster (like "The Beast Master" movie for those of a certain age.  I would wear the outfit while milling  :))

I'm wide open to suggestions and critiques.
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

POSTON WIDEHEAD

                               

                      BLUE RIDGE MOBILE SAWING

                 WOODMIZER LT 70 / WITH EDGER   ;)

                       "HAVE SAW....WILL TRAVEL"  ( Like the old Palidan Western)

                        Custom Sawing While You Wait

                             Call 555-5555 and ask for PAUL

                               Operators standing buy!
             
               


The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

Chuck White


How about Tim's Mobile Sawmilling.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Ga Mtn Man

Both good options.  Keep 'em coming, boys.

Hey David--How'd you get my phone # ???.
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

Ga Mtn Man

Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on March 05, 2012, 08:10:10 AM
                               

                      BLUE RIDGE MOBILE SAWING

                 WOODMIZER LT 70 / WITH EDGER   ;)

                       "HAVE SAW....WILL TRAVEL"  ( Like the old Palidan Western)

                        Custom Sawing While You Wait

                             Call 555-5555 and ask for PAUL

                               Operators standing buy!
             
               

I like it but I think I would change it to "Custom Sawing While You Off-load"  ;D
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

bandmiller2

A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Magicman

Mountain Man Sawmill

You are a sawmill first, and your product is sawmilling.

Whatever you choose, do not limit yourself locally to like "North Georgia".  I would also avoid your personal name or any other personal name as a catch phrase.  It would be possible confusing to customers, and then suppose you wanted/needed to sell the business.

Be sure to emphasize the word "portable" in your narratives rather than "mobile".
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Ga Mtn Man

...Be sure to emphasize the word "portable" in your narratives rather than "mobile".

Thanks MM.  Why do you say that?
"If the women don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy." - Red Green


2012 LT40HDG29 with "Superized" hydraulics,  2 LogRite cant hooks, home-built log arch.

Magicman

Well maybe it's just a local thing, but most folks tell me that they Googled "portable sawmill", Mississippi, etc. to find me.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Magicman

I went back and Googled "mobile" and did not really find any sawyers.  "Portable" seems to be the catch word that is used with manufacturers also.

It's kinda like trying to sell something.  Try to buy one first and then you will know where your competition is.  Do some searches for sawmilling services to get an idea how to advertise/list yours.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Kansas

I wouldn't limit your name to some specific service in your name. The reason being, what happens if 5 years down the road you do less portable milling and more sawing for other markets. You can have the specific services in your website. You may start deciding to buy logs at some point and cut lumber for sale. I wouldn't get cute with the name. You can get cute with the logo and/or sign. If you use a geographic part of the name, use as broad as possible. I don't know your area, but if you have a name for the whole region you plan on working in, that would work. If not, You mention 4 states you will be milling in. Might just be better to use your name and the word sawmill

JohnM

Nantahala Sawmilling 

Not sure how close you are to the river?  I'm guessing somewhat close if you're thinking of covering all four states.

My wife and I lived in Asheville, NC for a couple of years.  I never got to raft or fish the Nantahala but I've traveled down past it, a truly gorgeous part of the country.  Loved that whole area in general, we were married in Barnardsville, NC.

There's a chance you'd have to check and see if it's 'ok' to use the name as it is a Cherokee word.  Rightful so IMO.

My 2 cents/first thing that popped into my head.

JM
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

tcsmpsi

It will depend, to a varying degree, as to how you are going to set up your "company". 

Only as a 'for instance', I (tcsmpsi) am The Custom Shop/Mikata Protective Service Institute, which are the two dba's I  use.  The Custom Shop covers a multitude (firearms, milling, woodwork, etc., etc.) of different applications, as does MPSI.  As such, there is very little that I do that is not "business" in some manner or other. 

Of course, I've been applying myself in this manner for 40 yrs or so, so I might be 'stuck in a rut'.    :D

One never knows what tomorrow might bring, and I find it a good thing to be able to have a business structure that I can blend in or out as necessary.
\\\"In the end, it is a moral question as to whether man applies what he has learned or not.\\\" - C. Jung

sealark37

When you get some ideas to work with, you need to go to the Georgia Dept of State website to see if those names are already in use.  You cannot incorporate, form an LLC, an S-corporation, or a DBA using a name that is already in use.  Regards, Clark

MHineman

  My wife suggested a few years back that the word "Custom" for sawing, haying, etc. implies expensive to the general public as as opposed to "per your request" they we think of.
  I also recommend having a natural geographic name such as a river, valley, ridge, etc. rather than state or city as part of your business name.  It works well for us as we usually serve a larger area than many small business do.  Then on your website or business card, put more specific info about your location and where you service, and what you offer.
  I'd put portable sawmill in the list of services you provide.  Keep in mind you provide more than just sawing logs.  You are probably that person's best and maybe only expert on the best use of those logs and can help him how to use them and his woods.
  Always have a list of experts in areas that require more specific knowledge than you have.  Most of my customers mention in later jobs that they greatly appreciated my referring them to others when appropriate and have become repeat customers.
  My business name is Fall Creek Woodworks.  I'm within a mile of Fall Creek, it's the township I live in, and Fall Creek is well known to everyone within 50 miles of me.  I use "Woodworks" since when I started I was not sure where I would end up.
1999 WM LT40, 40 hp 4WD tractor, homemade forks, grapple, Walenstein FX90 skidding winch, Stihl 460 039 saws,  homebuilt kiln, ......

terrifictimbersllc

Not the only factor but here's something to consider:   all other things being equal, if you can name it what someone, who hasn't heard the name, would type into a Google search, you'll be better at getting to  the top of the Google results page without having to pay for advertising. 

Furthermore, if you have choices between names, and choose the name beginning with earlier letters of the alphabet, you'll be on top of the rest of the other hits, some of which may be your competitors. 

There are ways to optimize, but not all are free.   People are looking for a phone number or a link to click on, and aren't too interested in reading down to the bottom of the  page or going to later pages.   
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Magicman

Admittedly, I am not computer/website literate, but "riding on the coattails" of the Forestry Forum, etc. will bump you to the top of a search somehow.  Also the Forestry Forum as well as other sites have a free sawmill locator feature that you can use.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

red oaks lumber

if you hope to be taken seriously dont have your name be part of your company. the vast majority of your work will come via word of mouth. so haveing a name that shows up first on lists should be low on the list of names.
not saying what i do is rright but, i dont advertise at all and ive supplied material in a new sub division in douglasville ga. down the florida coast also. i guess my point is your reputation will lead the way for buisness if you help it along.
you must believe in your self and buisness first before you can expect customers to believe in you
the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

Bodger

I will warn against cutise names...we had a printing company for several years and named it Cottage Tees.  Every time we answered the phone people thought we were saying "Cottage Cheese!"  So be careful.
Work's fine for killing time but it's a shaky way to make a living.

Cedarman

We are "Eastern Red Cedar Products" with a website www.cedarusa.com.  I wanted the company name to say what we do and a website that is easy to remember and lets one know that we sell nationally, actually globally. I would make a second company called "Aromatic Red Cedar Products" if I wanted more business. But we are fine for now. 

Ask people you know what they will type in to find a portable sawyer in your area.  Simple website name is good. Have on your website the states you will saw in.  Make it easy for people to contact you.  Address, they will want to see where you are located relative to them.  Phone numbers, toll free number is good, but not as good as it used to be with free cell phone calling and cheap long distance charges.
List the areas you will saw.  Might have a map with a big circle around your location. People can see where you are relative to them.  Make the circle bigger than you target area.  There might be that one job worth driving to.
Just some ideas to add to the rest.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

Brucer

For some of us, coming up with business names is the most difficult part of starting a business. Here are a few thoughts ...

Check out your state/provincial regulations if you are going to formally name your business. Here in BC there are some terms that are usually not accepted. Some words are only permitted if you are going to incorporate (e.g., Limited, Ltd., Company, Co., Incorporated, Inc.). You also can't use a name if someone else has registered it (at least in your region).

It's worth a quick search on the internet for the words you think you might use. You could save yourself some embarrassment -- and confusion. Something else to keep in mind -- current search engines do not focus strictly on business names or website names. They look behind the scenes, so to speak. I had never thought about advertising on the web when I chose my name; when I decided it was time to do so, Jeff came through with a website that helps people find me regardless of the name.

Based on my own experience, I would not use the word "mobile" or "portable" in a business name. I started off with a mobile business but ended up stationary. Fortunately I didn't the word in my name so all I had to do was reprint some business cards and have Jeff modify my website description.

I wouldn't worry too much about using the word "custom" (I didn't use it, but I know a very successful sawyer who did). Unless you are planning to go into straight production sawing, "custom" is probably exactly what your potential customers are looking for.

Should you include your town/city/county/region in the name? I would tend to shy away from something too specific, unless you are tied to the area by (say) a large piece of land where you'll be located. I used the name of a very large region in southeast BC because I figured that while I might move some day, it probably wouldn't be out of that region.

Interestingly enough, it may not be a problem if you choose a local name and then move a long, long way away. There was (maybe still is) a family-run pizza restaurant in Quebec name "Rossland Pizza". The owner started the business here in Rossland, then wasn't able to renew his lease and move back to his home in Quebec.

Think long and hard about using your name in the business. If you think there is a chance you might sell the business, it could be risky. A former NHL hockey player retired back to his hometown (just down the hill) and opened a sporting goods store under his own name. Seemed like a good idea and it was a very successful business. But when he sold it the new owner kept the old name -- and didn't deal very honourably with some of his customers. When these people couldn't get satisfaction in the store, they started to pester the founder, assuming that since his name was on the store he still owned the place. Things got very unpleasant for him for a while.

Using your initials in the name, on the other hand, doesn't carry the same weight, but is still comprehensible to your customers. In fact I've notice that many people get a kick out of "figuring it out" when they first meet you.

If you are going to incorporate, there is a lot of paperwork and bookkeeping associated with changing the name of your business. It's worth taking the extra time to get it right. On the other hand, if you're operating a sole-proprietorship, it usually isn't a big deal to change the name of your business.

Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

Larry

The local boys aren't a bit creative round here.  Why Don Tyson named his chicken business Tyson.  JB Hunt named his Hunt Transportation.  Sam did put a twist on things by naming his little store Wal-Mart.  No telling what they could have achieved with a better name. :D
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Tree Feller

A few years ago I was accepted into a juried art show that is held annually in a little community near where I live. I wanted to show my turnings. The show required a sales tax number and when I applied for one, they wanted a business name. I live on Indian Creek Road so I named the business Indian Creek Woodworks.

It's worked out pretty well because it covers everything I do in my woodshop...turnings, furniture, crafts...and will also cover any future sawmilling-related work.

So, my suggestion is to keep the name generic so that you can alter your service without the need to change the name.

Southeast Sawmill Service would be my suggestion.
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

bugdust

Several years back the county EOC came around and ask Dad if he had a choice name for our physical address. The gentleman said Dad put his hands in his pockets, reared back and looked over towards the mountain side. Dad told him he would like something that mentioned the trees on "His" mountain, he thought for a spell and came up with Woodmount Lane. Later my choice for a company name was easy ... Woodmount Forest Products. If Woodmount was good enough for Dad, surely it was good enough for me. Dad's gone now but his choice name lives on. My suggestion is use a name that has a personal meaning because that's just how you should feel about your new company.
Since I retired I really like work: It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.

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