Help me name my company!

[pringle007]

Ok, I know this may not belong here, but I come here and read everything you guys have to say and I have come to respect the opinions of many of you. I never post pics of my work or get all that involved in the forums..I guess I am a silent member, but believe me, I check in several times a day!

My question. Im opening up my first confection shop in a small, indoor market that will be open through December. If businees is good, they go year round. Last weekend, the market did 20,000 visitors (Yeah, its in a high traffic tourist area.) I have a shop in the market reserved, and I need a name. I do chocolates like most of you, but 70% of my business the past 1.5 years has been my marshmallows. I do 42 different flavors, and I even dip a few in chocolate. Should I use a name that focuses on mallows? I already own the domain/website/copyright to Marshmallow Heaven. But I will be selling my choclates too. In the past, most of my selling has been done at fairs/festivals where chocolate was unable to be sold due to our high temps. I just want a general opinion of how I should go. Should I do something like "Great Lakes Confections" or maybe run two "shops" out of one. Keep Marshmallow Heaven and then created a new name for my chocolates? What do the experts think?

[tmriga]

For some strange reason the phrase

candycane wishes and marshmallow dreams

came into my head

Perhaps in an old poem or song?

Theresa

[Darienne]

You suggest perhaps going with something like: Great Lakes Confections, but indeed is that the location you would use? Would you use a more specific place name, like somewhere in the Great Lakes, like Bay City or Erie or Niagara Falls. Great Lakes is pretty darned huge for a place name.

It might help us to find a second word to go with a chosen first word, if you have one.

I can see the problem with a straight marshmallow designation. My confectionery partner and I have called our company...mythical as it is at this point...Cheers & Chocolates although we make much more than chocolates and have the same problem as you do with high humidity and high temperatures, all non-chocolate factors.

Good luck to you at any rate.

Edited April 28, 2009 by Darienne (log)

[Chocolot]

Once you come up with a name, run it through a search at the copyright office to make sure it is available. I am in the process now of registering my name.

[highchef]

I have never been to your area, but I live on a lake, we have marshes....so...Marsh mellows???

[Beth Wilson]

You should decide what your market is - if it is 70% marshmallows then your website name is pretty good.

Think of the expense of running different names with the extra cost of promotional material, advertising, business cards and letterhead.

You really need to concentrate your business on the products you have a passion and love for and keep the products that you will dabble in as 'seasonal offerings'. Over the years customers will come to you for your key products and the extras will be anticipated as they are offered.

You want your name to be simple to remember and explains your business to attract people. Who doesn't like Marshmallows! Especially homemade ones! Build your reputation on your primary products and introduce new things as you perfect them.

When I opened my shop, I spoke to a few people who had two locations or more and it seemed they were spreading themselves thin and were exhausted! I find one location runs my life too much so keeping it simplified has helped.

Good luck with the market! How exciting for you to grow your business!

Let us know what happens!

B

[tsquare]

For some strange reason the phrase

candycane wishes and marshmallow dreams

came into my head

Perhaps in an old poem or song?

Theresa

←

Sounds like a line from "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds", but it isn't!

[melamed]

For some strange reason the phrase

candycane wishes and marshmallow dreams

came into my head

Perhaps in an old poem or song?

Theresa

←

Sounds like a line from "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds", but it isn't!

←

I am not much with names but a background check on the internet is important to see how popular the name is and if it is taken. What about sweet secrets, perhaps too generic? You never know how the business will develop so I think having too specific a name can be restrictive.

[pringle007]

[Kerry Beal]

If you like Heaven in the name - perhaps some variation on that - Confection Heaven, Candy Heaven, Sweet Heaven...

[patris]

You might consider building your brand to represent something other/larger than the product. When my business partner and I were in the process of putting our brand together, we decided to use the partnership as the starting point for the brand - Puff Girls Treat Factory. We added the tag phrase "handcrafted marshmallow confections" to clarify what we make. So if you really love your location on the Great Lakes, maybe put that forward, like Great Lake Effects/marshmallows and chocolates. Or maybe there's something about you that's different or fun, that could translate into a brand? Hard to say what that might be, given that we've never met, but is this a second career for you? Do you have a hook of some sort that would get people intrigued?

(Sorry - I do brand management in my day job & sometimes I get carried away...)

[Andrew Fenton]

For some strange reason the phrase

candycane wishes and marshmallow dreams

came into my head

Perhaps in an old poem or song?

Theresa

←

Sounds like a line from "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds", but it isn't!

←

I think y'all are thinking of champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

[Kerry Beal]

You might consider building your brand to represent something other/larger than the product.  When my business partner and I were in the process of putting our brand together, we decided to use the partnership as the starting point for the brand - Puff Girls Treat Factory.  We added the tag phrase "handcrafted marshmallow confections" to clarify what we make.  So if you really love your location on the Great Lakes, maybe put that forward, like Great Lake Effects/marshmallows and chocolates.  Or maybe there's something about you that's different or fun, that could translate into a brand?  Hard to say what that might be, given that we've never met, but is this a second career for you?  Do you have a hook of some sort that would get people intrigued?

(Sorry - I do brand management in my day job & sometimes I get carried away...)

←

Gotta say - I love the 'Lake Effect' idea!

[Lior]

For Heaven Sakes!

Confections at The Great Lakes!

or:

Confections at the Great Lakes -For Your Sakes

Silly me....

Edited April 29, 2009 by Lior (log)

[Special K]

How about "Marshmallow Heaven - and Chocolates, Too!"

[Beanie]

For some strange reason the phrase

candycane wishes and marshmallow dreams

came into my head

Perhaps in an old poem or song?

Theresa

←

Sounds like a line from "Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds", but it isn't!

←

I think y'all are thinking of champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

←

The words from the song are:

Picture yourself in a boat on a river,

With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.

Now back to the topic.

[Katie Meadow]

The lyrics to Lucy also include "marshmallow pies."

[pax]

Gimme S'mores

[melamed]

food for thought,

Confection Reflections!

or

Chocolate Lake, chocolate sky....

(I don't think I am any good at this)

[Marmish]

My test is for names is the phone test. Can you say it clearly without being sick of it when you answer the phone 50 bajillion times? Marshmallow Heaven just sounds happy. It doesn't smush together. It isn't too long or too short. It's a little sing-songy in a good way I think. Not sure it's the best name for your business, but it's a good start.

[JeanneCake]

food for thought,

Chocolate Lake, chocolate sky....

(I don't think I am any good at this)

←

That made me think of Great chocLakes for some reason!!!

[pringle007]

Amazing ideas guys! I like that Great chocoLakes..hmmm