to be or not to be…

Settling on a business name was hard for me. I didn’t want to put it up for public debate because those always seem to result in half the group saying they love it and the other half giving reasons and issues dating back to grade school why it’s the worst. idea. ever. Using my name (as in “Robyn Pollman Photography“) wasn’t really an option because no one can ever spell “Robyn” right — nevermind trying to get the combo of “Robyn” + “Pollman” correct. I do own every version of Roby/in Pollma/un and have them all pointing to my business site. But when I started up, I didn’t want to constantly have to spell out my name over the phone. My own grandmother (who I ultimately named my business after) can’t even write it correctly half the time.

After a lot of brainstorming I thought back to what I remembered most about my grandmother’s business. Without fail, it was her wrapping / packaging. I hopped up to that wrapping table just as soon as my little hands could hold safety scissors, and had a giftwrap tip-cup filled during the holidays for every year that followed. My business name was born out of what set her children’s boutique clothing store apart…the presentation and delivery.

It also has the plus of two very common elements — buttons and bows. They are relatively inexpensive to add to packages and product presentation, and they are instantly recognizable symbols pulling my look together. In a sea of Firstname Lastname photographers in my local market, I have the unintended bonus of brand-recognition. That’s not to say Firstname Lastname doesn’t work well. Not having your name in the title seems to be the exception, not the rule and one size does NOT fit all. But again, see “Robyn Pollman”. Thanks to Martha Stewart (a Firstname Lastname business), I’ll never be short on buttons and bows!

(Just don’t forget the downside of using something other than your name: In Florida you need a separate “doing business as” / fictitious name license.)

So what symbols have you tied into your own branding?

P.S. Don’t miss the big SALE over at “the vibe” through Tuesday! You can own everything in the store (let me repeat…everything in the store) for just $50.00! This includes actions, borders, business forms, templates, marketing kits, textures and more. See this blog post for more details.

tag you're it: bows • business • buttons • discussion • marketing • name • packaging • photographer • photography • supplies • topic