I’m opening up two hairdressing salons and I’m in the process of choosing a name. Help!

I’m opening up two hairdressing salons and I’m in the process of choosing a name. Part of me is keen to go with a name that will stand out from the crowd (ie. Curl Up and Dye), but I also want to have a serious brand that will be able to expand easily. What should I do?

Curl Up and Dye?! Why don’t you just call it “The Cutting Edge” – apparently every town in Australia has a hairdresser called “The Cutting Edge”.

Here are a few rules when naming your business:

1. Be interesting and have multiple layers to the name. For example, Google is a funny name but is also a play on a very large number.
2. Allude to a benefit. Hairhouse Warehouse has a promise of having value for money. Boost Juice gives you a boost. Ask people how your name makes them feel what type of experience they would have.
3. Be extendable. Virgin can extend infinitely, Something like realestate.com.au can’t.
4. Stand out. General Pants, TopShop, Witchery all stand out and all are fun ­– but you need to be original too.
5. Ladder out of a truth. Grill’d serves burgers grilled, Hooked serves fish and so on.

In the hair care category I like the name “Dr Follicles”. It ticks most of the above boxes pretty well.

Naming is hard, spend time on it and get it right. Overall spend time on something that will stand out.

A friend had a dirt moving business and he asked me what I should call it. I suggested “Dirty Bits”. He didn’t go with that – but I can’t remember the name he ended up choosing.