picking a company name

[NOIRO]

Hi all. I need your opinion on this matter. I am starting a Civil Engineering company (overseas) and need to pick a good name. Being a new company, I am starting with 5 people including engineers and architects, and expect to grow fast to 15-20 in the new couple of years. The services will include all transportation design, civil design, hydraulics, traffic, land development,architecture and landscape architecture...etc
With all that being said just for background information. The PURPOSE of this is NAME SELECTION. I am having a very hard time with this. I know that I want the name to start with "HD".
I have been debating HD consulting, HD Engineering, HD design...
what would you pick and if you have better ideas based on everything i told you about the services, please help. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.

 

[msquared48]

HD Engineers & Architects

HD Engineering International

HD A & E International

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[bimr]

How about "HD Global" ?

HD consulting, HD Engineering, and HD design indicate only one area of expertise. If you get into different areas, you may have to change the company name.

At the present time, it seems most of the firms are using very simple names alphabetic names. Maybe it has to do with printing costs. More letter adds to the printing costs.

 

[Ussuri]

HD Solutions.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hound Dog??

 

[msquared48]

He died. The URL will cost too much.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Really - I hear he is alive and well... Just had a "birthday" - didn't he?? or was that an anniversary of his purported death?? Never sure what a politician says??

 

[Ron]

Nope...still sitting at the Burger King in Grand Rapids.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

I like Grand Rapids and often vacation in nearby Suagatuck/Douglas area!!

 

[BigH]

HD WDIA (Hot Damn, We Do It All).

Seriously,

HD International Engineering & Architectural Consultants (HDIEAC)

(this goes along with the Chinese liking to have the longest names possible).

 

[ACtrafficengr]

Mike,

http://www.destinationhollywood.com/movies/meninblack/quickclip_15.shtml

:-D

Maybe the tyranny of Murphy is the penalty for hubris. -

http://xkcd.com/319/

 

[rowingengineer]

what about HDP, at leasst it will be short an one or two people will wonder why?

ANY FOOL CAN DESIGN A STRUCTURE. IT TAKES AN ENGINEER TO DESIGN A CONNECTION.”

 

[psmart]

Other considerations for any candidate:
1) Do a google search on each possible name
2) Check for availability of a suitable domain name
3) Check for existing businesses with similar names
4) Check registered tradenames for possible conflicts (these may not be apparent in a google search)



Peter Smart
HydroCAD Software

http://www.hydrocad.net

 

[dpc]

Just a heads up - I know Home Depot runs an industrial supply company called HD Supply. You may want to tread lightly around names starting with HD.

FWIW, we found picking a name to be the single most painful part of starting a business. In the end, we never actually came up with one. (It's a long story....)

http://www.hdsupply.com/

 

[EBSEngineering]

I have been in engineering/marketing for years and the biggest thing to keep in mind, is tell people in your name what you do. Nothing more frustrating than looking for a company and not being able to tell from their name what they do.

Also think of the potential domain name, and make sure you stay away from popular ackronyms. dpc has hit the nail on the head. If someone is googling your company and HD is in the title, Home Depot will have you beat before you start and you will never optimize your google search. Also, everyone is HDing things which will complicate a google search even more.

 

[beej67]

Noiro Ltd.

Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East -

http://www.campbellcivil.com

 

[TGLG]

Whatever name you pick, be sure to run it through google or another web search program, and to show it to several people (preferably people of differing age groups) before finalizing your choice. That way, you can avoid picking something that has a different meaning than you were thinking (be it slang or a foreign word or what-have-you).
Also, think about what the name will look like as a domain name (you know, without any spaces in it). You don't want your company to be saddled with a truly unfortunate name, like happened to Experts Exchange, or Pen Island.