Do you have a good idea for a business, product, or company? Are you trying to come up with a name that will help make your business a success? If you have spent even ten minutes trying to think of a name then you know how hard it is to get one that sounds right and accurately describes the product or business. You also know that it's really hard to get one that's new and available. Have you already come up with the ''perfect'' name, only to find someone else has thought of it first?

Yes, sadly, almost every name is taken. All the obvious names that first come to mind? Taken. Cool words? Taken. Inspiring words? Taken. Names of Greek gods? Taken. Names of Norse gods? Taken. Adjective plus noun? Taken. The awesome name you were so sure of? Taken!

You probably thought that creating a product or business idea was the hardest part of starting a company; little did you realize that deciding on a name could be so challenging. After all, what's in a name? Pretty much everything, as Rock Bottom Industries and Dirty Joe's Crab Shack have learned the hard way. You may not think your name matters, but remember that it will be the first thing the public knows and sees about your business and it will define how your customers relate to your business. It's vital to create a name that will become instantly identifiable with your company.

We've established that choosing the right name for your company is imperative for success. But how do you go about getting a unique name that fits? Coming up with a high-quality name is a lot more difficult than you might think. Thousands of good names are being snapped up every day. There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration while a name is in development. Here are just some of the criteria that any good business should consider when choosing a name:

1.Your name should be easy to spell and pronounce. Nanoa Corporation didn't really learn their lesson when they changed their name to Eizo. If you have to put brackets after your name with "how to pronounce" in them, you're off to a bad start.

2.Your name has to be easy to remember--if people can't remember your name they won't know how to find your product. If someone heard your name on the radio would it jump out at them?

3.Your name should be short and concise, otherwise people won't be able to remember it or spell it. JimBobs-Emporium-AutoParts-CommunityCollege-and-Pizzaria.com will only be remembered by people who pay special attention to detail (so probably less than one percent of the population) and has far too much going on. I bet you can't remember anything after "JimBobs" and you just read it ten seconds ago.

4.Your name has to be unique; it has to stand out from all the other names and not be confused with anything already in existence. Calling your restaurant MacDonald's isn't a good idea, even if your last name is MacDonald. Everyone will be confused and, well, see #5.

5.Your name cannot violate trademark laws. That is, you cannot choose a name that is already taken--or even a name that is close to one already taken. If you violate trademark law you will be in serious trouble--and have to go to all the trouble and expense of coming up with a whole new name. To help protect you, your local business registry will typically screen out any names too similar to pre-existing ones. It can get expensive if you have to pay per screening.

6.Your name should have an available .com domain. If you can't get a .com domain, choose another name. You want to make your company as easy to find for your customers as possible, so don't confuse them by choosing an obscure domain extension. Sites like dynadot.com will let you look up your proposed domain name for free.

7.It must be internationally appealing. Not only that, but do some research to find out if your name means something strange or offensive in another language. The famous babyfood maker found out that Gerber is French for 'vomit'. The Volkswagen Jetta means 'misfortune' in Italian.

8.It must not be too narrow and not too broad. Make sure your name isn't too restrictive--if you expand your product line in the future will your name still be applicable?

If you hadn't already considered all the criteria your name has to meet, you are probably feeling a little overwhelmed right now! Coming up with a name that ticks all the boxes at the same time is a daunting task. For instance, if the website name is available, the company name isn't, and vice versa.

The easiest and safest way way to succeed during this critical process is to come up with your own unique, created-from-scratch name. It's no mean feat to win at the name game, but it's crucial to have a winning name. The right name can literally make or break your business. The right name can be trademarked and used for decades to bring in a fortune. So, how do you come up with the magic name? How do you tick all the boxes?

There are random name generation software tools out there, but be wary. Getting a new company name that is created by a machine that doesn't know anything about you or your company is a good way to end up with a name that means nothing, won't be remembered, and will hurt your company in the long run.

Name generation companies that claim to "develop catchy, memorable and unique company names altered to your company's specifications within 24 hours guaranteed" are costly and not guaranteed to give you a name that you like.

A name is simply too important for the future of your company for you to leave it in the hands of others. In this instance, the old adage of "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself" definitely applies. Only you will know the right name for your business, so the best way to come up with a meaningful name is to think of it yourself. But wouldn't it be nice to have some help? You don't want to hand the reins over to a company or a machine, but what if there was something that could help generate unlimited unique variations of words you like? Something that could help you find your perfect name a whole lot faster?

NameMaker is the best new software tool (Windows PC) on the market to help you with your arduous name task. NameMaker helps you generate a unique name for your company, website, product, service, brand, or anything else you want to name. The software allows for unlimited combinations of words or word fragments and incorporates the ideas and words you want to use. You provide the direction and "spark" and let the computer do all the grunt work.

Unlike computer-generated names that have little or no input from you, the business owner, NameMaker responds to the information you supply to give you every conceivable suffix, prefix or combination of letters. And unlike more "hands on" name helpers, NameMaker is extremely affordable. For the same price as a new book, you can get a new, original name quickly and easily that will make you stand out. You will have thousands of new names to choose from. And once you have a name you're happy with, you can get back to your business.

NameMaker is here to help you create the most important part of your business--your name.

About Author / Additional Info:
Marc Murphy is a technology entrepreneur who loves to solve real-world problems.  He has several companies and has many more exciting projects planned.  He believes technology is a means to an end; it is not an end in and of itself. Visit http://www.novasignal.com for more info!