Choosing what your massage practice business name is going to be can come across as being one of the easiest parts of starting a business.

But in some cases, it can be quite the opposite.

Recently I came across a spa business called Bodyworks in Philadelphia who had found the process of choosing a name not to be as simple they first imagined.

Debbi Ramsey, the owner of the Bodyworks spa, settled on the name ‘Bodyworks’ after going through 6 changes of massage business names prior.

Bodyworks seemed normal until some customers mistook it for an auto repair shop.

Then she switched it to One Touch Body and Spa and things started to get worse from there.

“I tried to explain that I do therapeutic massage and guys were coming up to the counter and saying, ‘Yeah, right, where’s your place?’ ” she disclosed to the New York Times.

Before finding the right name for her business, she spent more than $1000 in expenses for the change of business name, set aside the chaos and the drama that came with it all.

So the moral of the story is to make sure the name of your massage business makes people understand exactly what your business is and does without misinterpretation. Otherwise, you could end up down the chaotic and expensive road of changing your business name just like Debbi.

So with that all being said, your guide to finding the right name for your massage business starts here.

Let’s take it one step at a time.

Step 1: Consider the Factors

Your clients should identify your what your business in on the spot.

And more importantly, first-time clients should be able to understand exactly what you do with no hidden meanings or ambiguity.

According to the American Massage Therapy Association picture your clients in mind when creating your business name and consider these factors:

• Would this name inspire trust and credibility?

• Would this name be easy to remember?

• Would this name help me build a referral network within my clients’ community of interest?

If there is one thing that you should do, it’s keep your massage business names simple. This has never been more true especially in the digital age.

In a study by Gaebler, it was revealed that the top 50 most popular websites averaged around 6 characters in their domain name.

According to more reports, the average length is approximately 10 characters. A prime example of this is the names of major brand names Google, Apple, Facebook, Youtube.

These business names were created for the lazy brain, which is really for all of us when it comes to recalling business names.

So keep it simple so it’s marketable (easy to Google) and memorable. Not to mention, strong.

Make it catchy and original. Personally, I would shy away from using your own name but it’s completely up to you at the end of the day.

But to be on the safe side, I’d urge you to make it catchy and most importantly, make it original.

With these factors in mind, let’s go to the second step.

Step 2: Brainstorm for Massage Business Names

A thesaurus is your treasure trove. Whether it’s online, on your phone or the classic print, you’ll combine words seamlessly when you use this tool.

List massage-related terms. Thousands of words relate to massage like relax, heal, calm, treat, healthy, recharge, pamper, vibe—the list can go on.

Your massage business should resonate these positive feelings and emotions to be more attractive and relevant to existing and potential new clients.

Play with words. Combine words creatively, make it rhyme or invent new terms. If Google can be a verb then make your own rule. IKneadYou, Spassibilities, BeYouthful, yoUNIQUE, Massage2You and so on.

Consider SEO - Something you should also keep in mind is searchability of your name. Some people bypass the creative name and go straight for an SEO relevant name such as ‘Massage Philadelphia’. The reason people might choose this option is because it does these things:

It tells the customer;

• What you do

• Where you are

• Has SEO value

• Keyword that people would use to search

You may want to mix the creative and the SEO together, but it’s just something to think about during this massage business name creating process. So get your brainstorming on!

The brainstorming isn’t a one-time process.

It’s great if you can produce amazing ideas in one sitting, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes you need to research vigorously, check out competitors, find inspiration, study massage images, talk to people—before ideas hit you.

But soon enough you’ll find your word list growing.

This then brings us to the third step. Narrowing down your word choices.

Step 3: Narrow Down Top Choices

Now that you have a list of all the words you feel best describes your business, now you’re going to want to weed out the bad ones from the good ones.

Comb through your list. Narrow down your massage business names list down to top 10 words, then head over to the next step.

Step 4: Confirm Availability

Watch out for Competitors. Have you checked out your area within a 30-mile radius?

Do you think your massage business names stand out from the competition?

Compare it to others and see how yours stack up. If you find similar names then they should be removed from the list. You’ll actually find your list getting shorter or changing as you do this.

Do a Trademark Search

Search it on Google or Facebook and you’ll get a clue if any massage therapist or another business has taken fancy to your idea.

Confirm the trademark registration by searching the United States Patent and Trademark Office database through their website: http://www.uspto.gov/

To cover all legal protection, check also the state registration to find out which among your massage business names are already taken.

Run a web domain check at Whois.com

If you’ve diligently done your research then you’re almost there, as long as your list is not entirely crossed out. On the next step, it’s time to do the test run to find out the one.

Step 5: Test your Favorite Massage Business Names

See how they look when marketed. Could you think of a good logo that goes along with your business name?

A tagline?

Would they look good in both traditional and modern marketing collaterals?

Do a test run on brochures, business cards letterhead, a website, blog, as a URL and see what sticks.

Do a survey among trusted family and friends. This is the phase where you involve people who’s opinions you trust.

These people are not your clients but their opinions may have weight. Especially if they are ardent believers in massage therapy. They could relate.

So invite them over for dinner, run a vote or send them an email. The results could be a game changer.

Why, because regardless of what you think it’s about what your potential clients may think and what they resonate with.

Massage Business Names for Success

A study on behalf of the Society of Personal and Social Psychology, Inc. discovered that business names can make a difference in the outcome of your success.

According to the study, businesses with forgettable names plummeted in stocks while businesses with short, simple, catchy names stood out and outperformed rivals.

Just look at these two names for example: Brad’s Drink and Marathon.

Would you have guessed they are now Pepsi and Snickers?

Imagine where’d they be if they did not rebrand.

Choosing the right name for your business is like setting the foundation of a building. If it’s weak, the entire building will easily collapse and won’t stand strong.

Done right, and you have a strong foundation. Just like your massage business, you could build an empire from that cornerstone, your name.

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