The story behind the name

When I was pregnant with our first child, my husband would rub my belly and say in deep voice "I wish I had a Watermelon, I wish I had a Watermelon." I'd laugh and he would too. Hence the name of our company, Watermelon Wishes.

Selected with care, a name can be used to bestow meaning and evoke sentiment. When naming a company, there are several factors to consider. The ability to build a brand and sentimental value were my top priorities.

Janis DeVore, president of DeVore Marketing advised me to select a name that could double as my web domain and suggested it be short enough for the entire url fit on my business cards.

Your company name should be unique but easy to remember and spell.

Although a bank teller once asked me “Do you sell Watermelon’s?” For the most part, the product or service you provide does not have to be incorporated into the company name but it should evoke conversation. On your business card you can include a tag line to explain what it is that you offer. For example: Watermelon Wishes “Handmade Diaper Bags and Accessories”.

Whenever someone asks me “What is Watermelon Wishes?” I simply tell them it is the brand under which I market a line of handmade diaper bags and accessories.

It is also very important that the name appeal to your customer base. The majority of my customers are expectant mothers who in a roundabout way can relate to the watermelon.

To attain maximum value and with the assumption that your business will grow, care should be taken to select a name that does not limit your ability to expand your offerings in the future. Let’s say I had named my company “Andrea’s Diaper Bags”...

Get a notebook and brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm. Write down anything that appeals to you and then come back to it in a few hours, days, weeks and see what you still like. Ask friends and family what they think. Host a blog or Facebook survey.

Last, but not least, before you commit to a name, key it into several search engines to be sure you will not be affiliated with a conflicting product base or service.