Need help naming a business

“My brother is a custom furniture maker and wants to name his business something other than just using his name. I received this email from him. Do any of you have any good ideas?


"There comes a time when you need to call on some outside inspiration, to pick the brains of trusted family and friends, to mix up a cocktail of collective creative juices, and to drink in the libation of something new. Or to put it plainly, I can't think up a name for my business, and could use your help.

As a custom furniture builder I have been working as a sole proprietor under my own name for the last six months and I don't want to continue in this way. I am looking to incorporate and need something to convey the many (yet few), challenging (yet simple), principles (and ideas, convictions, hankerins, etc.) that my work stands for.

Some leaping off points: Quality, individuality, one-of-a-kind, inspirational, ethical, artisan, unlimited, not affordable, organic, craftsmanship, simplicity, excellence, functional, and I could go on. If it helps, I know my market is people who expect something high end, are willing to pay for it, but aren't always wealthy. People who have an appreciation for long term usage, not short term fads. People who are comfortable with themselves, not looking to fit the mold everyone else pushes on them.

REWARD!! Yes this is for most of you the best part, whoever contributes to the title of this company will recieve as a gift a wooden object of your choosing, ie a picture frame, a shelf, a mirror, or a coat rack.

Please email any suggestions. Funny, sarcastic, and outlandish ideas are good, but because they may not appeal to my clients sensibilities they may not actually be seriously considered. Only contribute something if you don't mind my using it as my company name.

Many thanks - Benjamin "”

“High-Quality Artisan-Crafted Expensive Functional Ethical Unique Wood Furniture Inspired By You.”

“Woodies, Inspired by you. (too steal part of bit's name)”

“Smart a$$es!”

“Enduring Adornments

Perennial Furnishings”

“Elemental Impressions”

“Wooden Inspirations”

“Lifestyle Furnishings

Furnishings for Life

Furnishings for Your Life

A Furnished Life (gets you in the "A"s in the phone directory)

ahhh, I love stuff like this... let me think more!”

“You've Got Wood
last edited: 9/08/05 11:04:19 AM”

“Same as above, but add "Custom" before "Furnished"”

“Lasting Impressions”

“Against The Grain”

“Back Slacker, that's my favorite so far.”

“Barking Up the Right Tree”

“The "Yo Momma" Co.”

“A Cut Above”

“With your brother's great vocabulary and target of his audience, I can't believe he can't come up with something. He sounds good. :-)

An idea: His name is Benjamin... perhaps hokey, but tie in Benjamin Franklin and quality somehow?”

“"Buy My Furniture Dammit"”

“You're right, Liz. He has been in the business for quite a few years and has been thinking about this for probably almost that long. He couldn't settle on a name, so he just used his own name, Benjamin Sytsma, for now. I think after all this time he needed some fresh ideas. I just got off the phone with him. When he comes in from the shop he is going to check in to this thread. (BTW, Against the Grain is in the lead at the moment.)”

“LOL @ Bit!”

“"Measure Twice, Cut Once"”

“Straightforward Wooden Furnishings

Straightforward Custom Furniture

Clear-Cut Custom Furniture Solutions”

“If I Wood, Could You
Quality Custom WoodWorking”

“Bison - I have a friend that has a foundation repair and pressure grouting business. When he first opened it, it was called, "Ya Momma Muddin' and Jackin'." When geotech engineers ran into foundation problems they'd tell the owner, "Better call Ya Moma!" The guy still has a personalized tag that says, "Ya Moma"”

“I like "Against the Grain," it's cute and says wood, but consider...

"Against" might throw a bad connotation.

Then again, "against" says you want something different and perhaps better

It does go early in the phone book... :-)

I like "Clear-Cut," which again says wood, but to the environmentalists, well they'd probably keel over!”

“Wood'n It Be Nice



PS: Hi Ruby. Up for air? LOL!
last edited: 9/08/05 11:29:23 AM”

“Enduring Woodcrafts”

“To cut against the grain, raises the grain and finishes poorly. He'll possibly balk at that name.

I like Lifestyle Furnishings that lizs suggested.”

“Cutting Edge Handcrafted Furniture

and how about this for a descriptive phrase:

Cutting Edge Handcrafted Furniture
For the Long Haul
last edited: 9/08/05 11:32:47 AM”

“No No No people, "Against The Grain" says Different, Classy, Simple yet Creative. A consumer likes to feel he/she thinks differently than everyone else.”

“I do like "Cutting Edge" though”

“I agree with what it says. I just mean that what it says to the public is probably different than what it says to someone who knows wood.”

“Let me refine that:

The Cutting Edge
Handcrafted Furniture for the Long Haul”

“Knock on wood”

“To Borrow from Lizs:

Cutting Edge Creations
Quality Custom WoodWorking”

“I've done a fair bit of branding and identity work. Judging by the target words chosen I'd submit.

Elemental.”

“Ohh, very nice HPM.”

“you stole mine (sort of)”

“Benjamin's Heirloom Furnishings
Uniquely Designed to Fit Your Life”

“One word names provide more flexability plus it is not necessary to state what exactly you do in the company name. That's the function of a tagline.”

“hahahah... We need to open an advertising biz and sit around brainstorming product names all day.

CAN I GET PAID FOR THAT????!?”

“Nobody likes a tagline.”

“I do.

(that was in reference to Lizs)

And you are wrong about taglines. They work when carefully crafted and there is tons of data to support that.
last edited: 9/08/05 11:58:24 AM”

“That's Tag-a-long, nobody likes a Tag-a-long! LOL”

“I just talked to Ben again on the phone.

First, he is incredulous that there are so many people out there watching a computer when they should be working. ;)

Second, he is very, very appreciative and impressed. He loves the suggestions. He has some responses to it all. I told him he should go to his computer, log on, and post all that he was just telling me. He said he can't because he has furniture to build and that not everyone has the luxury of surfing the internet for a living. LOL He will check in tonight probably after the kids go to bed.”

“I like this (of course, I would, or is that, I WOOD?? lol)

The Cutting Edge
Handcrafted Furniture for the Long Haul


The name is implies a design you want, possibly a crazy design (which I realize is perhaps not what you're looking for). It also tied in with wood.

The second (tagline, I guess) states it's individually created and "long haul" says something about quality in a common, simple way, plus implies you could be literally hauling this furniture with you for a long time down the line.

I rest my case.

LOL!”

“It's really hard to post when you are trying to make sure you're not about to cut a finger off.
last edited: 9/08/05 11:58:21 AM”

“Show me the data humanpackmule.

or ... have a beer and chill.

take your pick”

“When I read the phrase "long haul" to him, he laughed and said, "I'm not making wagons." LOL

He does prefer the word furniture over woodworking.”

“Chilling implies I'm worked up, I'm not. I'm simply stating facts based on a career in design and media.

Data? Good God, pick one.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=effective+tagline&btnG=Search”