Ok, here go’s. My business is a registered LLC, Iv’e got the
license, pay the taxes. the whole smear. I have a nice business name
that I have always thought rather elegant, easy to remember and
works beautifully with my logo. My business name is Silver Quail and
my logo is (yes you’ve guessed it. a quail) I designed it my self
and it’s quite nice. I even have a tiny sterling quail tag I
designed to hang on my necklaces and bracelets. Pretty snazzy! Iv’e
always received many complements. My jewelry business is a very
small jewelry design studio, and sales up to now have been localized
within a tri state area via art shows, etc. However I am preparing
to launch a website (better late than never), in conjunction with a
modest marketing campaign and a bit of wholesaling to stores,
galleries, etc. So you might ask what’s your point? While working
with my website designer I was asked to look at websites I liked to
get some ideas, and in doing so I discovered something I hadn’t
noticed before. Everybody seems to use their own name as their
business name, website url, etc. Is this the new trend? Is this what
is considered professional? Better question. Is not using your own
name unprofessional? Does it have anything to do with the type of
jewelry you do? ex: crafty, beadwork, art jewelry, fine jewelry and
so on. Am I over thinking this? Is it that big a deal? Before the
website is finished and I go to the expense of getting all my new
marketing materials done up, I’d like to be sure. Now is the time to
make any changes, if I’m going to make them! I suppose I could add a
DBA to my business and have my website url as leslieschnitman.com
but I really don’t want to lose my quail logo, and it wouldn’t make
very much since to pair the quail with my personal name (no real
relation). I had always thought of my quail logo and tag as an
excellent way to help to brand myself and jewelry, but in doing a
bit of internet perusing it seems that using your own name is also
branding and apparently a pretty good way to go. Of course it helps
if your name is a bit sexy which leaves mine out. ha ha. Is there a
way I could use my own name as the website and url, as well as on
cards and other marketing materials and still use something along
the lines of silver quail designs in conjunction with the logo on
the same materials? So any marketing gurus out there? Help?
Sincerely, and sorry about the long ramble.
Leslie Schnitman