How to Name Your Cleaning Services Company – A Guide

Your cleaning services company will have a greater chance of wiping out the competition (see what we did there?) if you name it right.

You must be thinking, “What? How important can fancy titles for cleaning companies really be?”

The answer is, VERY.

That isn’t to say they are ALL that matters – not at all. The quality and consistency of your service and your dedication to the craft and your consumers needs to be top-notch.

But you will only get these consumers if you can attract them enough to actually opt for the services of your cleaning services company.

And the first way in which you can do that is from the business name.

With that, here are the steps to name your cleaning services company:

So, how do you come up with a unique name for your business that sets you apart but is also easy to remember?

We help you come up with a bunch of cleaning company names from which you can choose the best one.

Let’s begin!

How to Pick a Name for a Business – Top Tips for Your Cleaning Company

Your End Goal Should be Unique and Catchy Names

Imagine you are setting up a cleaning firm in Los Angeles.

If you call it LA HouseCleaning Specialists, you will have met the basic requirements. The cleaning company name idea tells the reader what the company does and where it is based.

But is it a name that is likely to stick once it leaves the sight of the reader?

We doubt it.

HouseCleaning Specialists could very well be the description of any of the hundreds of companies in the region.

Now imagine you call it “Spick and Span – LA Chapter.”

Will it give the reader the impression that you will provide unique cleaning services? Honestly, not really – after all, how unique can cleaning services be?

But will the name stick out to the reader on a billboard or flyer? It’s likely that it will! All because you chose a catchier name that is unique and stands out without being too vague.

Keep It Short and Simple

You want to come up with names for a cleaning business that are descriptive of your services.

Great.

Does that mean it’s a good idea to name your company something like “Housekeeping Services for Spotless Clean Rooms and Outdoor Areas Inc.”?

Of course not!

The longer the name of your business, the harder it will be to remember. And if people can’t remember your name when they need your unique clean services, what is the point?

A short name is easier to remember and also has added potential for creativity.

Now let’s suppose you call your business Wipe Unsullied. Many people reading this won’t even know what unsullied means (let’s face it, we Googled it too).

Using difficult words that people have trouble understanding won’t do you any favors.

It is, thus, best to keep the name as short and as sweet as possible.

Draft Something that is Easy to Remember

Nike. Fun, short, simple, easy to remember. Right?

Now imagine if it was Nikephostorus.

Would it still be as easy to remember?

It definitely wouldn’t.

Catchy business names are best when they do more than stun – they need to have the ability to be remembered and recalled at will.

And so catchy business name ideas shouldn’t be just that – catchy. They should also have other qualities that make them worthy of remembering. These include relevance, ease, length, and so on.

Example:

Cleanly as opposed to Cleanographily.

Use Words Related to Cleaning

We almost just heard you say “DUH, what else would I use?!”

Let us explain what we meant.

It can be very tempting to go for an out-of-this-world option when picking a company name for your business.

The catch? Aliens may be the ONLY beings it would be relevant or memorable for (pun intended).

You want potential consumers to instantly think of your services when they come across the name.

Let’s understand this with an example.

When you think clean, the first thing that comes to mind is a spaceship (more aliens – yikes!) with its slick and tidy finish. You, thus, decide to name your business UFO Unlimited.

While this makes sense to you, the consumer doesn’t have the backstory, nor are they aware of the thought behind the name.

They just see words that have absolutely nothing to do with a cleaning biz.

But if you use something like Squeaky Clean, Clean as a Whistle, or even UFO Clean, the consumer can tell, at first glance, what the company does.

And that will always work in your favor.

Use other words for cleaning such as housekeeping, concierge services, or similar house cleaning synonyms to make it clear what you do.

Cleaning phrases like spick and span and spotless clean, as well as their variants also keep the name relevant yet exciting.

Keep Future Changes in Mind

You want to narrow in on your current services and give potential consumers a clear picture of what you do, sure.

But you don’t want to do that at the expense of restricting the growth of your cleaning services company in the future.

Let’s suppose you call your firm New York Maidly. After a year or two, following unexpected success, you decide you want to open a branch in another state.

To do that, however, you will need to change your company name and branding. You can’t operate in Texas with New York in the name.

Similarly, if you specialize in cleaning small houses and call yourself “Tiny Housekeeping,” you won’t be able to attract bigger clients in the future, even if you want to.

The bottom line is this: your catchy company name should allow for expansion, whether it is in the form of location, services, or more.

3 Don’ts When Naming Cleaning Services Companies

Don’t Cross a Line Trying to be Creative

You are often told to forget all limits and boundaries when it comes to creativity. This is good AND bad advice.

Experiment, be inspired, imagine. That’s all great. But don’t forget to stay within the realm of good and ethical.

Don’t overdo it and end up being offensive or distasteful in any way.

Don’t Overexaggerate

You want to be open and honest in all your business communication if you want to maintain a good reputation with your customer base.

And that starts with your company name.

The last thing you want to do is mislead people.

For example, you can’t be called A-Z Cleaning if you only clean office spaces. Do you see what we mean?

Be honest and true to your brand.

Don’t Use Your Own Name Unless It Really Works

Anderson and Co.

This name may have a lot of meaning for you and your family but it gives nothing away to the consumer about your business.

Nor is it catchy or unique.

So should you ever use your name as part of the business name?

In this case, we would suggest you only use your name if you can make it fit the criteria of relevant, creative, and fun.

For example, if your family name is Whistle, what better than calling your company “Whistle Clean”?

What Next? Things to Do BEFORE You Finalize a Name for Your Cleaning Business

So, now you have some cleaning service name ideas.

The first thing to ask yourself is, “Is my company name taken?”

Competitors can beat you to grabbing even the most unique company names – been there, done that.

You will be shocked at how many of the options on the business name ideas list will already be taken.

On a side note: it is best to come up with a vast company name ideas list so that you don’t have to start from scratch because nothing is available.

But coming back to the point,

Check whether the business name and domain are actually available before you go and register your firm and start branding your business accordingly.

How can you do that? Here’s how:

Check the Availability of the Name

You can’t just decide you’re going to start selling shoes one day and set up shop the next. For you to start running a business, you need to first register it with the authorities.

And guess what one of the core considerations during that process is – the name!

You can’t launch with the same name as another company in the region/state. The name can’t even be too similar to that of another company because this would cause confusion for the consumers.

This is why it is best to shortlist your top options and not have your heart set on one prematurely – you just don’t know if it will be available. And you definitely want other names to fall back on instead of starting again from scratch.

Before we go any further, here are the top reasons to make sure your chosen name isn’t already registered before you launch your cleaning services company:

• You don’t want the request to register your company rejected.
• Copyright issues, if you find out about them too late, can cost you a lot of time and money.
• Having to rebrand your business with another name is not only time-consuming, but it also results in major losses in terms of brand image and customer loyalty.

So how exactly can you do that?

You can carry out a search on the Secretary of State Corporation & Business Entity Search website.

In this database, you can find information regarding ANY company that has been registered in any state in the US.

You can also find this information on every state’s official business listing directory or check with the Secretary of State for that particular state.

Moving on:

You also want to check DBAs to make sure you don’t miss anything. DBA stands for “Doing business as” and implies that a business is operating under a name that is different from its legal one.

Some states make it mandatory to file these DBA names. You should check these registrations to make sure your business name doesn’t overlap with any existing operating names.

So, what next?

Well, if you find that your name is similar to a business that already exists, it is best that you move on to your next option. But if you still really want the name, you can go and check your state’s specific requirements to see if you can make that work.

Another thing you can do is to play around with different versions of the name.

For example, Integrate can also be Integr8. You have to be mindful, in such instances, that at the end of the day, the name still sounds the same and your consumers may get confused between the two.

Check Whether the Domain is Available

Sooner or later, you’re going to want to set up a website for your business. In this digital age, we’d suggest sooner rather than later.

But whenever you do, you need a domain that matches your business name.

Finding out that particular domain is unavailable once you have the business registered and set up can be very problematic.

To avoid that, check whether the domain is available before you go ahead and register the business.

Here are a couple of sites where you can do that:

• Domain.com
• GoDaddy.com
• Bluehost.com

You can also go to the site whois.com to check out the history of a particular domain.

A great thing about these websites is that they don’t leave you feeling stranded. If the domain name you searched for isn’t available, they give you other similar options.

None of these options may hit home but you may get a few ideas about how you can modify the name.

Oh and the best part? These are all web hosting services. So if you find the name you are looking for, you can go ahead and buy the domain in a few easy steps.

Find more detail about these domain name search and registration sites here.

Here are a few considerations for domain registration that can help you choose the right one for your cleaning services company:

• Try not to use unnecessary punctuation and digits – these are hard to remember, type, and eventually search for. Going for [email protected] instead of apparate.com will work against you, no matter how creative you think it looks.
• Stick to a .com That is the first extension that comes to your consumer’s mind when they are searching for your business and that is the one you want to appear on.
• Avoid using hyphens. We’ve already talked about skipping punctuation but hyphens, in particular, can hint at spam sites and that is definitely not the impression you want to give to your consumers.
• Steer clear of double letters. Take a look at this: letterssync.com. There is a massive chance of a typo (lettersync.com) that will lead your consumer to an error page or, worse, a competitor’s site. That is something you just cannot afford.

Here’s a bonus tip:

Did you know that it is still possible to obtain a domain name that is owned by someone else?

You can:

• Contact the owner directly
• Go through a brokerage
• Make a legal claim that you are the rightful owner of the domain
• Opt for aftermarket bidding

Confused? Don’t be. Read all about it here.

Check Trademark Availability

Before you go ahead and finalize a name, you also want to check and see if the trademark rights are available.

When you register for a trademark, you protect yourself from competitors trying to misuse your name in the future or set up a company with a name so similar to yours that it confuses consumers, among other things.

And it isn’t just restricted to names – you can prevent competitors from using certain symbols, slogans, or other elements and protect your interests.

You can understand, then, why it is a problem if a business with a similar name to yours already has trademark protection.

To carry out a search, go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office site. Make sure you are not violating the potential trademark rights of another business.

You can also register a trademark for your firm to protect your operations in the future. Check out the basic information and requirements you need to know before you register for a trademark here.

Wrapping it Up…

Believe it or not, the name of your cleaning services company can decide how much business you attract.

And the scale doesn’t have to tilt toward the wrong side.

Be smart in naming and branding your business and watch the customers start to flow in.

Best of luck!