New Year, and thoughts are turned to improve my business.

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

I hope this is the correct forum for this....but heregoes.
When I started my business years ago, I was working at a sign company, and was asked to get my business license so that I could start “subcontracting”, to avoid my employer in paying more in taxes (yeah, I know the implications and how it shouldn’t / wouldn’t work in the IRS’s eyes). Well things have progressed, and I have done other subcontracting for some other sign companies in the area over the last several years, in addition to having my own customers. When I named my company, my thoughts were completely subcontracting, and not dealing with the public, and subsequently named my company Kottwitz Graphics (my last name.) Occasionally, when dealing with customers, I use Kottwitz Signs and Graphics, to cover more than just a generic graphics...

Now that 2014 is upon us (ok, sooner, just haven’t wanted to face the issue until now), I realize how foolish it is to name a business after yourself. I want to upgrade my image, since I have started doing more dimensional work, and trying to push myself more in to the creative areas (dimensional, and gold gilding). I used a logo that I was never really happy with, but used and made work (somewhat).

I have thought seriously about having Phillip over at Sign Amigo create me a new logo, but before I invest in a new logo, should I consider adopting a new name? What would be involved in a change over, and what would be the possible ramifications of doing so? Good or bad?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

 

[Gino]

Ya know, other than trying to pronounce certain names, I don't think a name matters much if you're doing good quality work. People will search you out regardless of it being a catchy name or your own name. Our business is my last name and it's been that for 42 years. We added 'Digital Graphics' to it about 10 years ago, but no one ever calls us by our name. They call us because of word of mouth, phone book or internet and if someone doesn't know who we are..... our name don't mean a thang...............

I would sooner think a neat logo or some eye catching new fangled icon associated with your name would be all ya need.
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[FireSprint.com]

I agree with Gino. Especially when you are doing local work for businesses that you meet face to face, the name doesn't matter as much as the reputation you build around it.

If you are bent on changing your name, one idea might be to phase your name out. Call it "Kottwitz Signs Plus" and have your logo include the Kottwitz fairly small, then in a year or two, just remove the "Kottwitz" keeping the "Signs Plus" or whatever. In the mean time, you could answer the phone as "Signs Plus, this is Kottwitz" until you drop the last name. You would also want to pick up SignsPlus.com or whatever your new name would be and direct everyone to the new name immediately.

We changed our name a few years ago. We kind of did it that way. We used to be called TargetOmaha Marketing. Through the progression of our product line to what we do now and the customers we have, the name just didn't make sense anymore.