This may or may not sound like a bizarre question but do any members use their own name as their business name?
I would like to consider it as an option in the future as I could see that it could have a massive benefit BUT we all know that a bad word travels far quicker than the good and it would only take a minor hiccup to ruin the business and your good name.
It really depends, I think, on the type of business you're in, and the type of business you want.
IMO (and I think someone else has said it), it works well for domestic customers, but less so for commercial/industrial etc.
Professions are generally best suited to "self-named" business titles, while trades generally seem to do better when their title relates to the trade, rather than the guy (or gal) behind it.
The game changes of course, if you ever become a Limited company - Fred Smith Ltd, might be seen as a little "limiting" especially in the domestic environment, as nobody would know what that was about - although clearly, "Fred Smith Electrical Genius Ltd" might be better.
I think, if you are going to use your own name, do so, but qualify it - be bold (but truthful) - as I say, "Fred Smith Electrics" is a lot less endearing than something like "Fred Smith, Sparks to the gods" which would convey a REASON to use you too.
IMVHO, it is the key piece of marketing most business get very wrong, in so many different ways. But I guess that's just the same way that so many single mothers these days give their offspring names which nobody else can make sense of any longer - "ain't that so, Spudulika!"
