How to start a photography business – Business Name
Deciding on your Business name!
Now that you have hopefully decided on where you want to take you photography business you need to decide on a business name. Your name and logo will be the brand of your business. When you start your photography business you will spend time and money on developing your brand so you need to decide early on what that will be. Your brand is the image that is portrayed to your clients. Without any conversation it tells prospective customers what your business is like and it will appeal then to different people. Once your brand is established in your local community you will generate income through word of mouth which is the best advertising of all, because it is free and it is a recommendation from person to person. We will discuss this further in the marketing section.
So what is your business going to be called. Many photographer user their own name which is fine but if you are thinking big picture if you want to expand your business or franchise it, is your name what you want now and in the future. To have your business name registered it must meet certain criteria. Read this article http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/choose-business-name.htm
but in brief this is what it outlines.
Once you have decided on a name you should search to see if another company has registered the name already.
See the ASIC website http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf
Your business name needs to be acceptable in that it is not misleading or offensive.
Fair-trading will check for other businesses with identical names or similar names so choose something unique. They will also check to see if the registered domain name belongs to you such as a .com.au. You will have to provide proof that you own the domain. I will discuss domains and websites later.
See Registering a business name for more information.
Whether you decide to use you own name or not does not really matter. Once you have decided on a name you will need a logo or perhaps your name and the font will be the logo like Coke or Walt Disney
Here are the pros and cons of using your own name. If you use your name you do not need to register it with the business, but if you add “photography” to the end you do. Will you call yourself … photographer or …. Photography? If you become famous people will know your name as a photographer, does it need to be your business name. If you employ people will your name be worthwhile? Food for thought!