Choosing a business name
Your business name is a fundamental part of your brand. Here’s where you’ll find tips and a great tool for deciding on that perfect name.
Is your business name available?
Use ONECheck to see if your business name, web domain and trade mark are available — it only takes one search.
How to choose a name
Write a list of all the words you associate with your business. They could be about the products or services you want to provide, or the value of what you do.
You can make up words (Google, Facebook), join words together (YouTube), use phrases (Trade Me) or a name — your own (J Smith Plumbing) or invented (Häagen-Dazs).
There are certain names that are restricted or protected by legislation. View the full list here:
Names protected by legislation(external link) — New Zealand Companies Office
Brainstorm
If you’re struggling to find a name that fits the bill, try this technique:
- Find a large wipeable board or a stack of Post-Its to write your ideas on.
- Set a time limit, for example, five minutes, and write down every name that comes into your head, no matter how crazy or irrelevant they seem.
- Discard names you don’t like or don’t make sense for the business.
- Review what’s left and choose all the names you like.
- Repeat step 4 until you have a number you’d like to test, for example, six.
- Test your chosen names.
Test
If you have a name in mind but aren’t sure if it’ll be suitable, or can’t decide between several names, test them on people.
A simple and effective way to do this is an A/B test. You’ll need at least two names to try and some people to test:
- Take two names and ask people if they prefer A or B.
- Note the winner.
- Repeat stage 1-2 until you’ve tested all your names.
- Add up the scores and find the winner.
- If you still don’t like it, discard it and start again.
Is your name available?
Once you’ve found the perfect name, the next step is to find out if someone has beaten you to the punch and registered it.
Using ONECheck
ONECheck is a free tool that checks the availability of business names, web domains and trade marks in one search.
Simply enter the name and click Search. If it is not already in use, from the results you can:
- reserve your business name
- register your domain name
- get started with your trade mark.
Your registered business name can be different to your trading name.
If you use the same name as a registered company, especially one in the same field as you, they might have a case against you under the Fair Trading Act if they believe you are passing your business off as theirs. It’s best to use a name that hasn’t been registered with the NZ Companies Office if possible.
Intellectual property
Your intellectual property (IP) can be a huge part of the value of your business to a buyer. So make sure you protect your business’s IP.
Some IP assets can be registered, for example, trade marks, patents and designs. Other types are protected in different ways, for example, copyright and trade secrets.
Ways to protect your name, brand and ideas
The steps below are text versions of the visual guide. It's aimed at people who use screen readers, or who prefer to take in information by reading.
Here are examples of ways you can protect your intellectual property (IP). Use several forms of protection to keep your IP even safer. Contact IPONZ if you have any questions.
Trade mark
- low registration effort
- low registration cost
- high protection level
A registered trade mark is the best way to protect your name and brand. The protection can last forever if you renew every 10 years.
- Protects your brands in the marketplace.
- Most commonly a word or a logo.
- Register with IPONZ.
Helpful hint: You can’t register a word that is common in your industry. You could register the name ‘Milk’ as an architecture firm, but not for a milk product.
Trade marks(external link) — IPONZ
Helpful hint: Use ONECheck to check the availability of business names, web domains and trade marks in one search.
Trade secret
- medium protection level
Best practice is to not tell anyone about your secret recipe or process.
Helpful hint: Have good measures in place, such as confidentiality agreements and limiting staff access.
Copyright and other IP(external link) — Employment Agreement Builder
Copyright
- high protection level
For original works, including images, song lyrics and digital content.
- You don’t have to register it.
- Can protect for up to 50 years after your death, depending on the type of work.
Helpful hint: Keep records when you create the work. Use the copyright symbol ©, the name of the owner and the year the work was created.
Copyright(external link) — IPONZ
Copyright and other IP(external link) — Employment Agreement Builder
Company name registration
- low registration effort
- low registration cost
- low protection level
Your brand name is a big asset. Think about using it as your registered company name.
- Register with Companies Office.
- Renew annually.
Helpful hint: Use ONECheck to check the availability of business names, web domains and trade marks in one search.
Companies Register(external link) — New Zealand Companies Office
Design
- medium registration effort
- medium registration cost
- medium protection level
For new and different visual appearance of a product.
- How things look.
- Register with IPONZ.
- Can protect for up to 15 years.
Helpful hint: You can’t register a design if you’ve already gone public with your product, so watch your timing.
Designs(external link) — IPONZ
Patent
- high registration effort
- high registration cost
- high protection level
For inventions of functionality or process.
- What things do, how they do it, or how they’re made.
- Register with IPONZ.
- Can protect for up to 20 years.
Helpful hint: You can’t get a patent if you’ve already gone public with your invention, so watch your timing.
Patents(external link) — IPONZ
Web domain and social media
- low registration effort
- low registration cost
- low protection level
Your name is a big asset.
- Use it in a web address and on social media platforms so people can easily find you.
- License through a private supplier.
Helpful hint: Use ONECheck to check the availability of business names, web domains, and trade marks in one search.
Plant variety rights (PVR)
- high registration effort
- high registration cost
- high protection level
For new types of plant.
- Register with IPONZ.
- Can protect for up to 23 years.