# What do you think of my business name?



## MTV (Aug 20, 2011)

9 out of 10 photographers use their first and last names for their photography business but I'm one of a kind that goes opposite way. I like something short and elegant but unique as well, so I came up with a branding name for my photography business which is UnikPix. What was your first question when you heard/saw this name? Please be honest 

My first and last names are only 8 letters long but someone has already registered it. I'm trying to contact the domain owner to acquire it if the branding name doesn't work well.

Very much appreciated!


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## j28 (Aug 20, 2011)

Sorry, I am not a fan of creative spelling. You will have to spell it out for every client you speak with so they don't end up on Family Therapy Center - Home. It will be hard to make sure that they share your name correctly with anyone they are referring to you.

"Pics" sounds like snapshots to me, it doesn't give me the vibe of a professional atmosphere.  
"Unik" makes me think of high school kids on Facebook and their inability to type out an entire word.


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## mishele (Aug 20, 2011)

Sorry didn't like it. You need something that takes no work to look at and remember. I know, I'm kinda blond but I had to take an extra couple seconds to figure it out. lol It actually looks like a name to a computer program......=)
Don't over think your name........people will care more about the quality of your work than your name.


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## brandibell (Aug 20, 2011)

j28 said:
			
		

> Sorry, I am not a fan of creative spelling. You will have to spell it out for every client you speak with
> 
> It will be hard to make sure that they share your name correctly with anyone they are referring to you.
> 
> ...



I agree. I didn't use my first and last name because my last name is very Spanish and about 75% of people cannot spell or say it correctly. My husband and I run the business together so I used our first name initials. It's easy to say and remember. I am not a huge fans of my business name lol but I have a successful business. I do think the most important thing about naming a business is that it sounds professional because it's pretty much the first impression of your company.


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## mishele (Aug 20, 2011)

Here is a good read.....
Naming Your Photography Business


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## tirediron (Aug 20, 2011)

j28 said:


> Sorry, I am not a fan of creative spelling. You will have to spell it out for every client you speak with so they don't end up on Family Therapy Center - Home. It will be hard to make sure that they share your name correctly with anyone they are referring to you.
> 
> "Pics" sounds like snapshots to me, it doesn't give me the vibe of a professional atmosphere.
> "Unik" makes me think of high school kids on Facebook and their inability to type out an entire word.


^^ That!


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## manaheim (Aug 20, 2011)

Wow I was expecting to say "It's better than Balanced Photography", but nope... that's pretty bad, man.  Sorry.


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## GeorgieGirl (Aug 20, 2011)

Unik = Eunuch 

Maybe I can't read though...


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## KmH (Aug 20, 2011)

Most retail photography businesses thrive when it is the *photographer* that is marketed and promoted.

Which is why 9 out of 10 retail photography businesses are named using the photographers first and last name.


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## imagemaker46 (Aug 20, 2011)

GeorgieGirl said:


> Unik = Eunuch
> 
> Maybe I can't read though...



Have to say that was the first thing I thought when I read the name.  Unless of course it's a fetish site that caters to castrated males.


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## gsgary (Aug 20, 2011)

I'm not sure if my business name is hampering my bookings but i think it has a good ring to it ******** PHOTOGRAPHY what do you think


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## joealcantar (Aug 20, 2011)

Am I going to remember how the person spelled it if I have to look it up and see the name on your vehicle etc. is what first came to mind. 
-
Shoot well, Joe


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## PerfectCanvases (Aug 20, 2011)

Hit the nail on the head nothing left to say 8).


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## e.rose (Aug 20, 2011)

Back to the drawing board...


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## Josh66 (Aug 20, 2011)

mishele said:


> lol It actually looks like a name to a computer program......=)


First thing I saw was 'Unix', lol.  Then when I saw that it was 'Unik' I had to think about how it should be pronounced for a second.


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## BadFrog (Aug 20, 2011)

That a great link, full of info.


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## j28 (Aug 20, 2011)

Just realized my reply actually linked to somewhere when I typed out uniquepics.com.  Oops.

I do not use my name for my business, mostly because I have an uncommon last name and like to keep my personal life as personal as possible.  I have my business name, which is easy to understand, spell, and remember.  When I was trying to come up with a name a long time business person suggested I imagine people telling others about it, which meant nothing too cutesy and staying away from alliteration.


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## SkyBlue (Aug 20, 2011)

IMHO, UnikPix sounds far from being elegant.
Try harder.


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## Chris R (Aug 20, 2011)

I don't like it at all. Maybe if you have a storefront "Unique Pics" or "Unique Pictures" would be an alright name but if not it makes you sound like a teenager that just got their first DSLR. I don't think poor spelling of words (even though intentional) would attract the type of clients that'd make a photography business successful.

Use your name! Everyone does it because it works. Photography is an art form and the type of people that pay decent money for it recognize this and want the personal branding that artwork deserves.... Could you imagine if Pablo Picasso decided to brand his artwork as "Krazy Kewl Paintings"?


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## MTV (Aug 20, 2011)

I should have asked the community before passing out the business cards. I've had passed out around 400 business cards and I still have 600 cards left. Do you have any suggestions?


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## Chris R (Aug 21, 2011)

out of 400 cards, how much business have you generated? If you've gotten decent amounts of business than forget what we say and keep the name.


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## EmilRye (Aug 21, 2011)

At first it didn't sound so bad to me because 'Unik' is the Danish word for Unique, but now I have to agree with everything above.


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## brandibell (Aug 21, 2011)

MTV said:
			
		

> I should have asked the community before passing out the business cards. I've had passed out around 400 business cards and I still have 600 cards left. Do you have any suggestions?



When you think of a new name make a new website and on your old one put the link directing them to your new site.


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## KmH (Aug 21, 2011)

When you think of a new name, step #1 is to check somewhere like GoDaddy.com to see if it's still available as a .com domain name.


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## GeorgieGirl (Aug 21, 2011)

EmilRye said:


> At first it didn't sound so bad to me because 'Unik' is the Danish word for Unique, but now I have to agree with everything above.



I didn't relealize that you were from Denmark when I commented. You will know better than I what the impressions of your branding will be since your tag is associated with Unique by way of your language. You might have been on the right track all along and here in the U.S. and people like me, its just things we don't know or understand....


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## aliancer (Aug 22, 2011)

My first impression when i heard UnikPix : are you indonesian?

Lol, but really, unik in indonesian means "unique" and some teenager there like to slang their english pronounciation of picture like "pix" or "poto". So no wonder people like me who was born there would quickly realized it's a photo-related thing (hard to say either it's a company or a club).

Well, but in some way if you really are Indonesian and working there, the business name may works, but on sophisticated side, it's not getting there...

Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum


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## MTV (Aug 22, 2011)

The toughest challenge is how to educate the past and current clients.


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