well after 111 days bussiness partner wants out. no real problem there, but seems like I will have to change names. any ideas .

I personaly like
amp electric

I went for a name beginning with A to put it in a good position in the phone book.

Just a touch off topic, when I incorporated, my usually mellow lawyer got dead serious...looked me in the eye and said, "Tell me before you think about a partner...it's like a marriage...but, you always draw up the divorce papers in advance."

Dave

Slum,

You may want to read an article about company names. You can read it at www.thesuccessfulcontractor.com the article is in the back issue spring 2004 and is titled Brand or Die.

Do searches for the name in use for your your state. I know there is an Amp Electric around here. On name I like that's used here is Current Electric. For comercial 3 Phase Electric was a great name. You might have to go thru a number of names to find a good one not used. Even something simuilar can cause you problems. Were called Active Electric but in Chicago is Active Electric Supply Corp. People call information not knowing the full name or location and they get the wrong number. I get more than one call a week for the supply house and they have said they get my calls sometimes. It's real agervating to stop what you doing to answer the phone for a wrong number. Were concidering on a name change to Active Electricians. I still don't know if that is different enough.


I had a partner in a different biz. I'll never make that mistake again. Just be happy it's over before it started. If you still want some sort of partner you might use a sub contractor aragement.

Tom

My company is American...., gets the A name and patriotic. One local company has a really interesting name, "The Wire Nuts".

There's an outfit around here lately called, "The Only Electricians On Earth".

Everytime I see him I yell out, "Why are you driving my truck?!" (They don't seem to get the joke...)

They have a website too....
If you want to fill them in on the fact that they are not the only ones.... http://www.toeoe.com/

I started about 4 years ago.


Name recongnition and marketability, that is what you need in a name.



[This message has been edited by Dnkldorf (edited 04-07-2005).]

When I started my own company years ago the building commissioner at the time suggested I "go high in the alphabet" but Ace, Acme, A1 and American electric were already taken in our area. My wife came up with Amperage Technology and I shortened it to Amptech Electric. I would have liked to have used All-Phase but there was a supply house in a neighboring town by that name. I know a guy named Bob who calls his company Al's Electric.

My personal favorite is "Dolittle and Sitmore", from Riverside County, CA
The logo is a guy sitting on a wire spool drinking a cup of coffee.

As for me...well I just used my name, rather than go for "aardvark" or "aacme", although I've toyed with the idea of "Moray Eelectric"

In my opinion I would choose a name that refects a geographic location or a elecrical related term and stay away from a FIRST name type electric.I worked for a "Mike's Electric" for a couple of years and was always asked "Are you Mike?Where is Mike?Why can't we have Mike do this job?" It just sounded small to me.A last name could sound better and bigger perhaps.


[This message has been edited by andyp95 (edited 12-18-2004).]

There's always the Three Stooges poster of the lawyers "Dewey, Cheatem & Howe".

Dave

well found a great name with an "A" in the beginning and it is an enthity that is available in my state

How about "A Whole Electric Co."

Tom

A Whole Electric? At least that is what it could be confused with.

Edited to correct spelling error.

[This message has been edited by NORCAL (edited 12-20-2004).]
Edited by D Wells as i didnt know if the word would be appropiate for forum

[This message has been edited by dougwells (edited 12-20-2004).]

In my area we have a "Burns Electric" and a "Arc Electric"

I don't consider those good names.

The majority of electric companies in MA are named for the last name of the owner and there is a reason for this.

In MA the name of the business has to be the name on the license.

Most guys when they start a business do not bother to pay the fee to change the name on the license.

You may want to make sure you do not have the same rule in your area.

Two rules that are strictly enforced here are.

1)Company name matches name on license.

2)Anything with the company name must carry the license number, trucks, paper work, advertising etc.

I just realized our T-shirts and sweatshirts do not have the license number. I will have to check on that.

Bob

OK Norcal,

How about Hertz Electric. You could say "were the Electic Hertz contractors".

Below are some real names around us I would not choose some just bucuse of posable confusion answering the phone.

Kordick Electric.... No job too small!
Hucker Electric
Phoenix Electric (Were not in AZ)
2000 Electric (Sounds outdated now)
Freeman Electric
Cox Electric
Bechtold Electric

Tom

[This message has been edited by Active 1 (edited 12-20-2004).]

iwire what is wrong with arc electric??

I can see burns not being the best idea

I think arc could be used nicely for advertising

California has an Arc Electric as well...
http://www.arcelectric.com/

Looks like they got the website first.

there seems to be alot of arc electrical around I found over 50 on this site alone
alot go by the old arc but when you do a search for a state to see if that name is in use it is hardly registered same with amp

I don't know I still think it would be cool to be arc electric and have electrical arc on your shirts and a big one on the side of your van seems good for name recong

o well

since Buzz is my nickname, i have Buzz Electric

Hi fella's,
Been reading your posts and have to mention a couple of company names in my area that I always get a kick out of. One is "Wil-Surge" electric. I guess it's taken from his name but I asked one of his employees why he would put a name like that on an electric company van. I just thought is was sort of funny. And then there is "Crooks" electric. Also taken from his name but I think I would have named my company "Trusty" before I would have called it "Crooks". But one thing they accomplish is that they are easily remembered. When I was first starting out I remember reading books that always emphasized not to use a name that would work against you.
Ron

Choosing a company name, I imagine, is quite challenging because if one isn't careful it could be easily corrupted thereby compromising the potential reputation. I thought of posting examples but there may be legal ramifications if I did.