It is mandatory for the owner(s) to come up with a business name while registering a company in Singapore. These are the requirements while choosing a company name in Singapore:
- The name should be unique.
- The name can’t be vulgar.
- The name can’t promote bad behaviour or practices.
A company name in Singapore can either be in English or Chinese but not both. Moreover, if you have a Chinese name, you can translate it to English.
Before choosing a company name, you must know if it is available. Here is a tool to see if a company name has already been taken; check company name availability Singapore.
Tip: While registering for a company name, make sure that you come up with at least three ideas. You can go another if one is not available.
Tips for Choosing a Company Name in Singapore
Here are some tips for coming up with the right company name:
Use Easy to Spell Names
A good word of mouth is necessary to promote a business. Using hard to spell names will make it difficult for people to remember your company. This also means don’t use names with complicated meanings. Be creative, but keep it simple.
Use Names that Won’t Limit Your Business Growth
For example, say you open an eCommerce store. Currently, you are selling books. If you use ‘Online Books,’ then the name won’t be relevant if, in the near future, you decide to sell more than just books.
Don’t Sound Similar to Others
Actually, your name will be rejected if you make it similar to other businesses in Singapore. However, sometimes, businessmen somehow ‘copy’ other brand’s names and get away with it. This ‘ripping off’ of someone’s brand positioning can seem enticing for some time, but will hurt you in the long-term when you are struggling to build your own identity.
Try to Convey Your Business Purpose or Product
‘Kentucky Fried Chicken’ is an excellent example of this. The name explains immediately that the company produces fried chicken. On the other hand, ‘Amazon’ could be difficult to understand at first. Still, once you realize that they sell everything possible, and Amazon is the second biggest river in the world, you see that the business name means ‘big inventory.’
Conduct an URL Research
These days, a website is becoming a necessity for companies. In fact, some business people have started conducting thorough research about the URL name availability before settling on a business name.
Well, even if it may not be relevant for some to name a business based on the domain name availability, it can be important for online businesses and eCommerce sites to consider if the name of their business will be the same as their website name.
Use a Name That Makes You Happy
You can read all the tips from professionals about naming a business, but all of them will be in vain if you are not happy with the business name itself. So, at the end of the day, it is for you to decide if the proposed name makes you happy. If not, you can change it, as you will have to put in a lot of work to build your company, and you have all the rights to name it as you please.
How to Find If Your Business Name Has Already Been Taken in Singapore?
The Accounting and Regulatory Authority is the department that decides if you will get to use the business name you want. Thus, to find if you can use your business name, you should conduct an ACRA name search.
