 ArtMetalsocial networking for the metal arts |
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Searching for an identity
Joe B -
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - 11:49am
business name | perceptions How come I keep getting HTTP error 404 messages when I try to type in comma separated words in the tags field?  I fixed the 404 error when
webminster -
Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 7:27pm
I fixed the 404 error when adding tags. It took me all day to find one line of code that had broken this feature! Anyway, try it and see if you still get the problem. NOTE: Next time, please create a separate post detailing the error message. I don't look at every post on ArtMetal and was just lucky to find there was a problem. Also, if Rich can't figure out the problem, either email me via the webminster contact form, or get Rich to contact me directly. BTW, thanks for pointing out the problem!  I recently read a great
GOGardner -
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 1:13pm
I recently read a great article from a couple of weeks ago about naming your business. The article was from a free newsletter from the website www.passivepanda.com. Goggle 'Passive Panda Business Name Ideas' and you should easily find the article. I hope you find it helpful! Jerry  Thanks, Jerry and Rich. I
Joe B -
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 1:55pm
Thanks, Jerry and Rich. I went to the Passive Panda site and read the article and comments. It is a very good article and gave me some things to think over. It goes along somewhat with what our SCORE mentor was saying and what Rich was saying in his reply. I've got to get to the enablers who can connect me with the people that have the money. So I need a name that might evoke the right image in the minds of designers, architects, etc., that will say to them that I can help them make their clients happy with the work I do. |
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ArtMetal
I don't know why that 404
I don't know why that 404 error is cropping up, Joe. It happened to me, too. My guess is that it is another artifact of our recent server move. Maybe Enrique knows how to fix it - I don't do code.
As for the name: If you truly wish to reach out to the 1% at the top of the financial pyramid, then the name of your business is actually of little importance. Those folks don't use the Yellow Pages, they get their services by referral from others of their ilk or they work through designers, architects, gallery owners, etc. If they know you at all, they will know you by your own name, not your business name.
That said, you still need to get your name out there to those people, and a business name can help by bringing the in the people from the next tier. Personally, I like names with "forge" in them, since that is what we do. I avoid "blacksmith", "metalsmith", and "smithy" as they have, as you noted, unfortunate connotations for most people. "Artist" is another term I avoid - it just sounds presumptuous unless you already have a significant reputation. So, what goes with "forge?"
I like names like "Caribbean Forge", Persimmon Tree Forge", "Mountain Forge", etc, as they do not carry any connotations that are too specific to one particular place or thing. Suppose you move - "Tulsa Forge" might be fine in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but disadvantageous in Texarkana, Texas. Likewise, if you do reproduction Colonial hardware and call yourself "Colonial Forge", you could be missing out if you later changed your focus to modern architectural work. Things to think about.
In the final analysis though, the people who come to you by referral or repeat clients (these are the ones you want, not drop-ins off the street) will know you by your own name, so keep that out there prominently. Introduce yourself as "Joseph Babb of Moving Hand Forge" and people get the whole message in one brief exchange. Those six words convey a couple paragraphs worth of meaning.