Five tips on naming your start-up for impact

NAIROBI: Your start-up needs a name, and it may be the most important decision you make. The name of your business has a tremendous impact on how customers and investors view you, and in today’s small world, it’s a decision that extends beyond national borders.

Naming a business is not as simple as you might think. In our work with start-ups at Tangaza, we have had the opportunity to explore this. Business names in Kenya are often created by combining the names of the investors or partners, or using the ‘Mama so-and-so’ model. There are also many other entrepreneurs like the man who named his shop ‘Bump Shop’ because it is located next to a bump.