I was just remembering how much time I put into trying to find the "right" name for my business and was figuring that a lot of the new VAs were having the same problem. Does anyone want to share how they created their "right" business name?

Here is my story:

I kept a notebook with me wherever I went hoping for motivation. I asked friends, family and neighbor kids for their ideas. I scratched and scribbled every adjective I came across. I tried clever. I tried serious. I tried different spellings of every word, but didn't want to have to spell my business name to everyone who asked. I tried names with the word "virtual" in it but nothing sounded right. (I believe this is mostly because I wanted to be able to market to my local businesses too, many of which aren't quite ready for the word "virtual" yet).

I began considering the area where I live and the things my family and I like to do. We live in area with lots of lakes and tourists. My mind kept going back to WATER, then BLUE came me. Somehow, I didn't think Brown Water would work!

Finally, I had to decide between Business Services or Business Solutions. I kept finding that in my local area "Business Solutions" is often used to name businesses that sell office equipment, so that was out. Business Services encompassed everything I may want to do now and in the future. This how my business became Blue Water Business Services! I just dropped the Services in my domain name to shorten it up. It may not be the most creative or best describe my "virtual" business but it gave my business a flexible identity that is all MINE and the confidence to keep going!

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Angie
Blue Water Business Services

My story isnt quite so meaningful. I went to the Thesaurus and looked for words related to SMART.... got SAGE.... I was going with Sage Administrative Solutions at first but thought that sounded stuffy, I bought Sageva.com, so Sage Virtual Assistance it is...

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www.sageva.com
Shelley Halpain,

I love these stories. They show how differently we think and how inspiration comes on its own schedule, always perfectly synchronized with everything else!

Truth to tell: I almost didn't notice deciding on my business name. It was Virtual Writing & Communications from the git-go, no questions asked.

So we all have our stories.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

Thanks for sharing, mine just popped into my head after talking with someone the said I wish I had an office assistant and there you go!

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

I've been called the 'office goddess' for years so that seemed like the right name for my business. My hubby said "Honey, if you are going to be virtual, shouldn't you be 'The Virtual Office Goddess?" The rest, as they say, is history.

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Both my husband and I are U.S. Army veterans. As a result our primary niche market will be reserve and retired veterans with our services going from there. After all, no matter how long you've been in corporate America, your military service will always be a part of how and why you do things.

Reservists and retirees just seem to all speak a common language. Also, in this day and age, "veteran" refers to military service, which suggests duty, honor, discipline, loyalty, and trustworthiness. You could say we've learned to carry out orders.

But most of all, we have plenty of experience in handling problem clients.

Creating the "right" business name came pretty quick and easy for me. When I was a Junior in college, I pledged a sorority and my line name was "Elite", so when I crossed, I got a jacket with my line name and number on it. When we get our line names, we are told why we got the name and I was pretty impressed that my big sisters thought so highly of me.

Fast forward nine years later, I've already been doing gigs and suddenly thought that I should try and start my own virtual assistant business. I was cleaning out my closet and in the back where the jackets and coats are, I saw my sorority jacket, turned it around and saw my line name, "Elite". At that point it hit me that this would be my business name because it just felt and sounded right.

The End

These are all great stories!!...I have not gone live yet and am going to work under my own name for a while, but my 8 year old son came up with Incognito (some show that he watched and he thought it was a cool word) So I am thinking when I do go with a business name it may be Incognito Office Advantage....

Really interesting to hear where everyone's inspiration comes from. I agonised over my business name for quite a while. I finally tried to think of what I was trying to be for my clients - a business lifeline. Hence the name Lifeline PA.

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Alison @ Lifeline PA Services

Picking out the right name for your business is really tricky as it can somehow make or break your business. It is no brainer that you have to pick something that is apt and would mirror what your business outlook is. It may not be that important for some but it really helps to use a name that is simple, catchy and easily remembered. The last thing you would want is for people to want to remember what your business' name was but just can't get to as you chose something a little too complicated.