Business Name Change?

Happy New Year Everyone!

After being away from the mobile and club dj business for 10 years, I'm excited to be restarting my business in 2013. I have a question and hope someone can provide some feedback. My Mobile DJ company in the past was called "Sound Selections Entertainment". I did a google search and found that there is now a company by that name in the neighboring state of California and also one in Pennsylvania (I'm in Arizona). I like my old business name and my presentation sales book that I used for clients have customer feedback from my old business name. Should I be concerned about restarting with my old business considering there are other companies with that name now or should I take this opportunity to come up with another business name. Thanks and I look forward to any input.

Brian Davis
Sound Selections Entertainment(?)

I would go with a different name. You don't want to be connected to another company in anyway, just in name included. At the minimum if you are set on Sound Selections, make it Sound Selection Productions.

Yes, I've been thinking about it for a while here and I decided to just use a different name. I did think about using Sound Selections Productions as well but thought there were too many "tions" in the name. Thanks.

Glad you made it on Brian. An advantage to keeping you old name is that past customers will remember you and try to contact you. I don't think having a accompany with the same name in another state is a big deal. We see a lot of companies with the same names right on this site. A problem is trying to find a website name that people will remember or find. Most people still type in a .com address and you may be a .biz etc. Welcome back.

Thanks Mark, Its great to be back. I"ve been spending alot of time just going through all the various threads on the forums in the past couple of weeks and actually recognizing some names and companies from 10+ years ago. It'll be nice to get reacquainted. I'll have my schedule set for Vegas 2014 for sure. As far as name change, I still havent come up with a different name I like so maybe I'm better off just staying with the old name.

I disagree somewhat with Mark, regarding sharing a name with another DJ company in a different state is not that big of a deal.
All you need is another video like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZP4Ugev82I going viral with the other company's very similar name in it. Another Stardust Entertainment has to virtually take their website down and put a huge notice up that the DJ in the video is not them and has no relation to their company.

I would look at this as a good time to come with a totally unique name.

Oh My Goodness. I watched that video and was both horrified and laughing at the same time.

You've been away for 10 years and everything has changed. Audio equipment, lighting equipment, how you advertise, the music. I doubt there is any goodwill left in the old name at this point. A complete fresh start with a new name would be recommended... along with a slogan.

The Sound Choice
Sound Choices Entertainment
Good Selections Entertainment
Audio Selections
Audio Selections Entertainment
Audio Entertainment... which is the name of a local friend's company here in Florida.

Sound Entertainment

I'd be hesitant to go with a name that is used by someone close to you unless you did something like:
Arizona Sound Selections
AZ Sound Selections

A past member here had a strategically successful biz name. Buckeye Entertainment. He is in the college town and attended that college. I would guess that with the college camaraderie it greatly helped his biz grow. Si if you are close to a big university, and even more helpful if you attended, it might be a good idea to be something like "Wildcat Entertainment, Wild Sounds, etc."

Just a thought.

The old sales theory is.... "if it aint broke..don't fix it."
Although that usually applies to ditching a company name that has bad things (reputation) associated with it.

You can always shorten it to just "Sound Selections"
No one ever said you HAD to include "productions" or "entertainment" in your name.