Hi Les,
Personally, I’m not a fan of using a writer’s name as their company name. This comes from a person who does have a distinctive and, dare I say, meaningful name. But, unless you are already well known, I’d suggest steering clearing of using your name.
To me, it looks too much like a lawyer or accountancy firm. We are in a creative business and I think that should be reflected in everything we do, including how we present ourselves.
As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover, but believe me, many do judge by the title. That is, many prospective customers do judge consultancies, such as ours, by the name.
As you’ll know from reading my book, my company was initially called The Write Advice. Using “write” way back in 1991 was more fresh than perhaps today, and it showed. My company attracted a fair percentage of inquiries based on its name. When you consider that for many prospects, you’re just one line in a long list in the Yellow Pages, it pays to think beyond “John Smith & Associates”.
So, yes, I would use a catchy name. If you’re not comfortable with the word “write” in it ~ that’s fine ~ but make sure you do define what you do in the company name. It could be as simple as adding “communications” or “writing services” to the end of the name, such as “(Noun) Communications”.
As for putting a sign on your car ~ sorry, Les ~ that doesn’t work for me either. While we are in a promotional industry, I don’t think all promotional material should be applied to our own business. Let me back track ~ I guess it depends what kind of customers you are trying to attract. If you’re after the big end of town or even small businesses, I think car signs could potentially do more harm than good. Sure, you’re promoting yourself ~ but what is your promotion saying about you? I think they send the wrong message ~ at least in our industry.
It’s best to stick with more ‘conservative’, proven methods, as outlined in the book ~ direct mail, brochures, newsletters, etc. These tools go a lot further to selling your company and its services by actually demonstrating your abilities. As all writers know, it’s better to show than tell.
I hope this helps, Les, and good luck with your new venture. Love to know what name you finally decide on!
Warm regards
Michael
_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
Michael Meanwell
michael@michaelmeanwell.com
Author of:
~ The Wealthy Writer
~ The Enterprising Writer
~ Writers on Writing
~ Quote Unquote
Author's Official Website:
http://www.michaelmeanwell.com
Writers' Resources:
http://www.enterprisingwriter.com
http://www.thewealthywriter.com
Writers' Forum:
http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/72583