No idea on a name but it sounds like you've found a good slogan. "We Build Your Dreams, Not Ours"

There's a lot more to a name than just the services you provide. There was another thread on this a couple months ago - search for it and see what was said there.

What services for structural steel? Building design? Bridge design? Fabricator detailing and specialty connection design?

How do you offer software development as a service? Do you assist other designers in developing custom tools for design, or are you working on building a software platform to market to other designers?

Sometimes it's better the pick a name that means nothing but is unique and easy to remember, then all you have to do is build a reputation where your successes are linked to the name of company, not because the name triggered a sense of what you do, but rather trigger the memory of being able to do the job right. The best example of that is Eastman Kodak. The word 'Kodak' was completely made-up and had no meaning whatsoever, only what George Eastman was able to make it mean. other examples include Häagen-Dazs, Accenture, Pantone. Even Sony, while it was inspired by the use of the English words 'sunny-boy', used as slang in post-WWII Japan to mean a smart, young kid, it was shortened to 'Sony' because it was easy to pronounce and spell, and it didn't really have a Japanese tone to it.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

Previous thread here: https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=456235

----
just call me Lo.

I have a business name ready and waiting in case I ever decide to open a business. I got the idea from a past employer, and I am totally satisfied with using it for any kind of business I may choose to open in the future. I created a pronounceable non-word from the first initials of mine, my wife's, and our children's' first initials and made sure there wasn't already an existing company with the name. As a bonus, the pronouncement apparently has a nice meaning in arabic.

Andrew H.
www.MotoTribology.com

SuperSalad - don't sit on it. I decided a long time ago that I would go into business for myself. Started really thinking about it a year ago, and decided on the name, etc. I, too, made sure the name wasn't taken, the web domain was available, all of that. Fast forward to a few months ago when I was approached by a few people asking me to do work for them. I decided to pull the trigger - even if it was only a "side hustle." I went to set up my website - somebody else leased the URL 4 days before I tried...

domain names can be quite inexpensive to acquire and maintain; ~20/yr YMMV

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
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Thank you guys for the useful replies.

ôIf you don't build your dream someone will hire you to help build theirs.ö

Tony A. Gaskins Jr.

IRstuff - the one I went with is $12/yr. Sadly it wasn't the perfect one, but it does the job.

We bought 5 or 6 names, but the one we really wanted would have cost 50x more

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

Actually, I guess we "rent" them, since there's a yearly fee

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies forum1529: Translation Assistance for Engineers Entire Forum list http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

Let us steal steel your project.

Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA, HI)

You should go with "& Associates, Inc." You'll be instantly partnered with half the engineering firms out there.

Decide your end game first. Do you want the business to be a legacy or do you want to be acquired by a larger firm at some point? The name will make a difference. If you want a legacy firm where your business reputation is tied to your name, then it's ok to use your personal name in the business, such as John Doe and Associates, Consulting Engineers. This is good if you have a family member of with the same name who might assume the business as some point. It allows continuity of the name reputation. If you want to be acquired by a larger group in time, a personally named business can be a detriment because they will likely drop your personal name and with it goes a loss of business. In that case, make the name descriptive of what you do, such as Southern Geotechnical Engineers (my apologies to any firm that might have that name...unintentional). There are exceptions to both of these concepts, of course, but as a generalization, my experience has shown that they apply.

Good luck and it's good that you're putting a lot of effort into naming your business.

I think this is the thread Lo was referring to.. https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=466364

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

Oh, yep, that one is even better (and more direct to the point)

----
just call me Lo.

Quote (JohnRBaker)

...had no meaning whatsoever, only what George Eastman was able to make it mean. other examples include Häagen-Dazs, Accenture, Pantone

Pantone means "all tones".

A fun way to generate names based on a phrase or word you want to use as an anagram:

http://www.fourmilab.ch/anagram/

This anagram finder will generate ALL anagrams based on the Scrabble dictionary.
Warning: it must be run from a Windows command line.
Warning: if you feed it a word with only common letters, the list of anagrams can be quite long.

Suggest this way of using it:
C:\>anagram baloney > baloney.txt
Then open the text file in Notepad.

Final warning: The author of Fourmilab is the founder of Autodesk. (Yes still alive and still programming). Anyone visiting who has an interest in computers, CAD, or technical curiosities should be prepared for a long visit.

www.sparweb.ca

I would not use an acronym like "ABC Engineers"....pretty boring. I'd either use my name "John Doe & Associates" or something cool (i.e. not engineering related)

here are some suggestions:
"SS Engineering Services"
and
"SD&F software"

"SS" anything.

Are you mad?

It's only marginally better than"Final Solution" anything or "KKK" anything

Remember history counts.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

Do a Google search - there are already several firms out there called SS Engineering.

That doesn't make it a good decision to name your company after such a WW2 vile organisation.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

thank you guys for your input.

my advice for anyone who is looking to start his own business in the future, and has a name in mind is to get the domain name from now.

I have been trying for more than a month, literally any name I liked is already registered.

ôIf you don't build your dream someone will hire you to help build theirs.ö

Tony A. Gaskins Jr.

Your name is far less important than your ability to meet customer needs and wants. Prove yourself as capable and your name could me "Jenny in a Blue Dress" and it will not matter.

Creative names are good for new customers who have never heard of you but sustained business is based on meeting the Client's needs and expectations. I have worked with a very successful underpinning contractor called 'Yo Mama Construction".

Don't overthink it.

"SS Engineers" is the best name i think. it makes good impression and your company will be considered robust and big. forget about the past, don't look back.

Pole Volter with a logo of a silhouette of a pole vaulter.

I set up a firm on paper a few years ago to be ready with plan B during a downturn. Just having the name "Engineering" in it caused me to incur annual firm licensing fees and a minimum local annual tax assessed on engineering work. If I were to do it again I would leave "engineering" out of the name so I could wait to pay those fees and taxes when I was actually doing some engineering work.

@SandCounter: I've read that sentiment a few times now. It's sticking with me. I don't think I'll put Engineering in the name. I see more people using "Consultants" or "Design" and (less often) "Structural"

i think i found that:

SS Structural Design Consultants

or SSSDD -> very catchy