Hair and beauty salons have been around for at least a hundred years, which means that anyone starting one up these days has a hard job finding an original name -- there are already dozens of hairdressers called A Cut Above, Upper Cuts, Scissors and other obvious names.
You might want to use your own name as your business name in order to find something unique, but this is not always a good idea. Vidal Sassoon and John Frieda have international reputations and people will choose their salon because of this, but your name is probably not so well known. Potential customers cannot distinguish between Susie Jones Hair and Beauty and Jane Harris Hair and Beauty. Your first name can even be a hindrance. If your name is Kaylee or Madison, you are probably in your teens or early twenties, and this name might alienate older clients. Similarly, if you are an Edna or Winifred and use your own name as your business name, you will probably find it difficult to attract young women as clients, who will perceive your business as old-fashioned and irrelevant.
Once beauty salons were called beauty parlors (or parlours), but using the word Parlor as part of your name these days would suggest a tired, old-fashioned business which specialized in blue rinses and tight perms. The word Salon is becoming dated, too. To sound really modern and up-to-date, Spa is the best choice.
The names of many hair salons are based on puns: Curl Up and Dye, To Dye For, British Hairways, From Hair to Eternity are some examples. Beware if you go down this route. Humor palls after a while, and what once seemed amusing can soon make you -- and potential customers -- cringe when you say the name out loud when answering the phone or when attending business networking groups.
Thinking up a good, original name for your business takes time and effort, so set aside several hours for the task. First seek out the names of rival hair and beauty businesses and jot down any that appeal to you. You are not going to copy an existing name, but you can analyze your list and see what it is about the names that caught your attention. Perhaps you are attracted to words beginning with a particular letter of the alphabet. Perhaps all your favourite names are only two syllables long. Perhaps they all sound Italian. Any connections you make can help you seek out other words in a similar vein.
Now you need to make another list, this time by brainstorming words that could be used in your name. Hairdressing and beauty magazines and websites are a good place to start and find words that might be suitable, but don't limit yourself to material only in your own field. Qualities associated with the hair and beauty businesses include luxury, sensuousness, romance, youth and colour (among many others). These qualities are associated with other fields too, eg jewelry, precious stones, textiles, fashion and flowers, so looking at magazines, websites and reference books which deal with these subjects will give you words that might easily be transferred to the health and beauty fields -- pearl, topaz, sapphire, satin, lace, lotus and jessamine for instance. Just write down anything that catches your eye at this stage -- don't judge or edit. You may end up with a couple of hundred words, but if you have the time and inclination, look for more words from other fields eg mythology, spirituality, music, magic, wicca.
Now that you have a long list of words, go through the list eliminating anything unsuitable or any words that do not appeal. Try combining words, joining them with 'and' or finding words that begin with the same sound for a rhythmic name eg Pearl Pampering, Bliss Beauty, Beauty and Bliss, Sapphire Moon, Sparky Style.
Now you can ask for feedback from friends, family, colleagues, existing clients and, indeed, anyone else. Ask them what image the name conjures up? Would they expect it to be an expensive, or bargain-basement, salon? Does the name sound too old or too young? Can everyone pronounce your name?
Before going ahead with registering your name, check up on the practicalities: if you are planning to have a website, is the domain name available? Will the name fit on signs above your door or salon window? Can it be misread (eg seen from a distance FLICKs, when written in capital letters, can look like a rude word!)
Changing a business name a few months down the line is an expensive, time-consuming business. It makes sense to put in the effort now to choose a name that you will be happy with for the long term.
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