How To Name A Startup

When people ask where I got the name, Old Man Murph's, I feel a bit hesitant to admit that it is my dog. It sounds easy, maybe a bit lame. But, the people who have met Murph will likely agree that he is a force to be shared. 

He's quirky, odd, and unique much like my Roasting experience thus far. I started roasting a couple years ago on an air popcorn popper, which normally involved a web of extension cords, bowls to catch the flyaways, hot mits, spoons, a semi-dangerous makeshift bean shield, bags and oodles of PBR. My obsession for roasting continued into a tabletop SR 500 air roaster, actually intended for coffee, and I was hooked. I took over my parents garage (sounds cliche, I know), and what the ironic part of it was that Murph wanted nothing to do with my roasting. He didn't like the smell or the sound of the buzzing roaster, so he wouldn't even hang out with me in the garage. 

Once I landed on the idea of calling my roasting practice 'Old Man Murph's', it just stuck. Here are a few tips and things to think about when naming a business - whether it be a Coffee roaster, a fashion blog, or an etsy shop - whatever floats your boat (or brews your beans, heh heh)

• Pay attention to how the full name sounds, I'm keen to strong & repeating sounds.
• Is it versatile for designs? Do the words or letters stack well? Can you use it in multiple ways down the road if you want to create merch or products? 
• If you're using multiple words in your brand name, make sure the acronym isn't awful like PEE or something.
• Will someone be able to remember it if you only tell them the name once? If there are odd spellings or non-word words, people may forget it quickly or not know what to search for when trying to find it. This is actually something I have struggled with, most people will just call my Coffee 'Murph's'. 
• Is it versatile for growth? Try not to choose something too specific like 'Snazzy Chicago Shoes' - because what if you want to also sell 'Snazzy Chicago Hats' someday? 
• Lastly and likely MOST important - Is the URL taken? If not, buy it quick once you decide!