Why changing my business name was the best thing I did for my business

I’ve talked about this a number of times over the last few years but have never actually got round to writing a blog post about it so here goes! If you’re someone that’s feeling embarrassed by your business name or you just feel it sounds a bit too amateur rather than reflecting the luxury product or service you offer – THIS IS FOR YOU!!

I won’t go into how I got started as a wedding stationery designer but what I will tell you is I put ZERO effort into choosing my business name! I remember sitting down one day with a sketchbook, writing down a lost of names that sounded like something a bride would like and would fit in the wedding industry (because back then I had cast the whole wedding industry with the typical pretty pink, fairytale style like a lot of people tend to do – big mistake!)

Anyway, I came up with Sugar & Spice Designs which at the time I thought to myself, hey this sounds ok let’s go with it. Before I had even put anymore thought into my business name I did what the majority of creatives do, I jumped straight into the logo design. Not the design of my products. Not working out who I wanted to work with or what my niche would be. Nope, I jumped straight into the logo and building a website (on Wix at the time -eeeek!)

It didn’t take long before I started to question my decision over my business name and as soon as I started to attend network events and connect with others in the industry I realised, I was embarrassed by it! Even writing down what my business name was I’d think to myself that people will just assume I’m a cake designer, not a stationer! Why on earth did I not think about this before?? Why did I jump straight into choosing a name without giving my time to get used to it and make 100% sure it was right?

You know what they say though, you learn from your mistakes and you really do!

So the time came where I made the decision to change the name of my business. I HAD to because where I was embarrassed by my existing name it meant I was holding back. Holding back from upping my game, connecting with others who I admired and would love to work with. Sure my name wasn’t bad but to me it didn’t reflect the luxury brand I wanted to create for my business.

I didn’t want people to think of me as a hobbyist. I was serious about building a strong brand for my business. One that people would recognise and see as a place to get high end stationery from, not low cost cheap crap because I was all about the premium papers and luxury finishes!

I wanted to charge my worth and with the name and brand I had for my business I just didn’t feel confident to do this.

Sound familiar?

So, I decided on my new business name (this time I put ALOT of thought into it and ensured I was 100% happy and confident in the new name), then I started work on creating my new brand identity design. Not just the logo, but my full identity that would get me recognised and give me the assets I needed in order to have a strong and curated brand.

I invested in having my website designed and built (going from Wix to WordPress was a HUGE uplevel for me!) and I created a plan to create a huge launch for my new brand.

I was a mix of excited and also anxious because chabging my name meant changing everything. My banking, social media, subscriptions, all of my packaging and branded stationery (which I’d not long spent well over £600 on for my luxury foiled Sugar & Spice Designs business cards – straight in the bin!). So many things had to be updated and I also had to make people aware of my new name.

Having a launch plan is essential for any rebrand but when you’re changing your name too it’s even more important. Your current audience need to get to know not just your new branding but also your name so drip feeding your new brand identity over time is key before you announce everything. Creating countdowns and building excitement really helps your audience to get to know the new brand and will help with your engagement too!

So, the moral of the story is if you’re feeling stuck in your business because you’re coming across as a hobbyist and not the professional, creative business woman that you are, changing your business name may just be that big change you need right now to take your business to the next level.

The only regret I have myself is that I didn’t put this much thought and effort into choosing my business name when I first started my stationery business because the second I made the change, everything just fell into place. I had a brand I was proud of and 100% believed in.

You can do this too!

If you need help with choosing your brand name or taking your business to the next level, I offer a 60 minute Brand Strategy Consultation to help with exactly this! Click here to find out more.

Jacquie x