How important is your business name? To change or not to change ! Opinions welcome

[jbarth636]

Hey guys, my name is Justin Barth, I own Professional Stump Removal LLC here in Springfield MO. I started this business in 2008 after an ice storm here and have made a living at it ever since. The business was just me and a 252 that I pulled with my personal truck. Then I bought a 352, then a 4400-4, then a bigger trailer, then a 7015 .... then a work truck, then this and that. As the business has progressed I have make many improvements and changes.

My intentions were to stay as a stump grinding service that performed my own jobs, as well as serviced tree services in stump removal. As most of you know, times are tough. Those nice big accounts I once had has tightened up, some guys have gone and bought their own small machine just to try and stay busy, some have closed shop, or some clients just plan to leave the stump instead because money is tight on their end.

Either way, I now find myself advertising as a tree service, stump grinding, I bought a trencher for my mini skid and offer trenching as a service, also a brush hog for the skid steer, hired a climber, now have my own bucket truck, the business has evolved... Yet the name Professional Stump Removal still remains.

I get people that will call and ask " Do you do trees or just stumps ?" Im wondering how many people don't even call to ask because of the name.

Potential Options:
I just leave it alone and keep doing what Im doing. I have Tree Service/Tree Removal listed on my vehicles and magnets and such.

Change the Name :
Barth Tree & Stump
Barth Tree Service
Barth Tree Stump Removal
Barth Tree & Stump Removal
Anything Outdoors ( going for more the trenching, brush hogging, skid steer service tied into tree/stump work, and its an A)

And if I change the name, do I use the same number and tie my existing Biz into the new name with the same number and ads, or do I get a new number and keep all the ads and everything separate? This way I could potentially sell the stump business at some point, or even have multiple ads in the same area...

Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Hey guys, my name is Justin Barth, I own Professional Stump Removal LLC here in Springfield MO. I started this business in 2008 after an ice storm here and have made a living at it ever since. The business was just me and a 252 that I pulled with my personal truck. Then I bought a 352, then a 4400-4, then a bigger trailer, then a 7015 .... then a work truck, then this and that. As the business has progressed I have make many improvements and changes.

My intentions were to stay as a stump grinding service that performed my own jobs, as well as serviced tree services in stump removal. As most of you know, times are tough. Those nice big accounts I once had has tightened up, some guys have gone and bought their own small machine just to try and stay busy, some have closed shop, or some clients just plan to leave the stump instead because money is tight on their end.

Either way, I now find myself advertising as a tree service, stump grinding, I bought a trencher for my mini skid and offer trenching as a service, also a brush hog for the skid steer, hired a climber, now have my own bucket truck, the business has evolved... Yet the name Professional Stump Removal still remains.

I get people that will call and ask " Do you do trees or just stumps ?" Im wondering how many people don't even call to ask because of the name.

Potential Options:
I just leave it alone and keep doing what Im doing. I have Tree Service/Tree Removal listed on my vehicles and magnets and such.

Change the Name :
Barth Tree & Stump
Barth Tree Service
Barth Tree Stump Removal
Barth Tree & Stump Removal
Anything Outdoors ( going for more the trenching, brush hogging, skid steer service tied into tree/stump work, and its an A)

And if I change the name, do I use the same number and tie my existing Biz into the new name with the same number and ads, or do I get a new number and keep all the ads and everything separate? This way I could potentially sell the stump business at some point, or even have multiple ads in the same area...

Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks.

You want people to reconize your name. If you went this many years as professional stump removal I would probably just make it " professional tree and stump removal" . Keep your existing phone number and contact info.

 

[RVALUE]

A recognizable name is important. Then a 'good' sounding name is important.

I've picked several "bad" names, (hard to spell, look up etc.)

I personally think having your real name in there is a detriment if you go to sell. Just my opinion.

Maybe have a number under your name also, etc.

 

[Single_Shooter]

2Tree is correct - keep the name - just add Tree to it as well as stump. Just my 2 cents...

Product recognition is a SERIOUS issue in any business - just a point to make - I have friends who feed their dog a McDonald's cheeseburger occasionally. It is to the point now that the dog will bark every time he sees the golden arches while driving by....so even a dog can recognize what he likes if he sees it enough!!

If you change your name now you lose that contact/context with previous customers - I also agree that putting your name in it is a bad idea.

A company here made me jealous recently - TREE MONKEYS - their business card was hilarious - they will get a LOT of business just from the name and the cards. POINT: They have made themselves memorable to anyone they do business with or who sees their trucks or business cards - and if they have a good personality to go with their salesmen then they will do great in a short time.

 

[RAG66]

If your going to add tree service, OK, don't do like some I've seen. Advertise something and then subcontract it to another company. Problem begins with no control of product, it goes on from there. I've seen so many forms of doing business and it seems so many grow too quick, do not manage well, provide a moderate to poor product. If you wonder what is in a name think of what you give the customer. Times are very tough in business and this is where the truly excellent will survive and grow. I have thought of buying a stump grinder only to do a better job than a subcontractor, I am going for a bucket instead. Keep your own wheel house, hire an assistant if needed, but keep your product excellent. Your reputation precedes you! Name is important but what the name means is stronger.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

2Tree is correct - keep the name - just add Tree to it as well as stump. Just my 2 cents...

Product recognition is a SERIOUS issue in any business - just a point to make - I have friends who feed their dog a McDonald's cheeseburger occasionally. It is to the point now that the dog will bark every time he sees the golden arches while driving by....so even a dog can recognize what he likes if he sees it enough!!

If you change your name now you lose that contact/context with previous customers - I also agree that putting your name in it is a bad idea.

A company here made me jealous recently - TREE MONKEYS - their business card was hilarious - they will get a LOT of business just from the name and the cards. POINT: They have made themselves memorable to anyone they do business with or who sees their trucks or business cards - and if they have a good personality to go with their salesmen then they will do great in a short time.

Guess I've got to agree with this one, half my customers don't remember my name, just call me Jolly. But when they try and look me up a year from now, they never forget the name. Jeff (Jolly)

P.S. and don't forget a good, clean logo, that is recognizable from more than 10' away. I got mine done on the internet for $300.00 from a guy in London. 3 concepts, 3 revisions. I'd give ya his name, but it was somethin somethin artwork, I don't remember his name.

 

[Single_Shooter]

My business name is GORILLAMAN - plain dark green cards with big bold bright yellow lettering on them. I have people call me and they laugh when they say GORILLAMAN. It really is my nickname my wife gave me - and it may sound corny and silly - BUT PEOPLE REMEMBER IT!!! I am working on getting a presence on the internet so even if they lose my card or number they can find me by that name.
I have a recent customer who is going to put me on Angie's List to boot.

And as Ragg says - it' the quality of service that makes the difference - I sub for some local guys here and after the customers see what I do in a side by side comparison to their workers - they ask me to look at their next tree or another stump...not the guy I am subbing for. And they all say the same thing - I seem to be very open and honest and inform them well and look to do a very good and professional job.

And as Jolly says - keep it simple. The simpler the better. I need to get pix of my carpet cleaning trailer posted in here for you to see. It is a rolling billboard that practically screams to people driving by me on the road. I constantly get calls while driving.

 

[deppjohn92]

Business name plays an important role in sucess of your business. People recognise you from your name, but your business name must define your services (or area of work ). Like :- A Real Estate agents have their business name "Your Empire" & A Tree Care Company names " Daryl's Tree Care And Surgery ". So their Business names completly defines their work.

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

Before you stick "tree' in the name you should make sure you know what that means, what you're gonna get and be able to handle it properly. For you I recommend words like landscape, excavating, land clearing, brush mowing. You can get in over you head with the word "tree".

 

[JimmyTree]

Add the new tree related name as a trading name for the tree side of the business or set up a second company for the tree work in case you want to sell out of one of the parts in the future. Keep the stump name for the stump grinding/trenching side of the business as this is good for marketing these services. I went through this myself and the stump name is great for getting stump jobs but reduces your credibility for tree work as it looks like your a stump grinder that just does some trees on the side. Why would they hire a stump grinder to do their tree work when they can get an arborist for the same price?

You definitely need a new name for tree work. I would suggest just using "Professional" as the main brand and adding stump grinding, tree services, excavations etc underneath and run them like separate divisions

 

[jefflovstrom]

We are our name,,,Urban Tree Care,
Jeff