The Ultimate Guide to Naming Your Pet Sitting or Dog Walking Business.
Starting a pet sitting business? One of the first, and most exciting, things you get to do is pick the name for your pet sitting service! But here’s the thing: while it sounds like fun at first, the process can quickly become overwhelming and frustrating. The name you choose is so important because it’s something you need to get right the first time. Just think about it for a moment: your website, business cards, logo, invoices... they’ll all carry your company’s name. You’ll even need to fill out government forms that contain the name of your business. Everywhere you look, your company’s name will follow, and trying to change it can be an absolute nightmare, so choosing the right name for your business is not something to take lightly.
So, while it’s exciting, it’s also a big decision! But don’t worry, we are here to help you pick out the perfect name for your pet sitting or dog walking business with the steps listed below.
Step 1: What’s in a Name?
Take a moment to think about what you want your business to be and what types of services you will offer. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do you plan to provide just dog walking or cat sitting services? If so, pick a name that highlights your particular services. For example, if you only visit cats, name your business something like “Mike’s Cat Sitting Service” to make it clear to prospective clients that you specialize in cats, not dog walking or sitting.
- Are you going to be providing upscale pet care services?
- Do you have a goal to be the biggest and the best?
- Do you plan to expand to other markets? If so, you won’t want to limit yourself by highlighting only a specific niche of your service and will want to choose a name that can encompass any additional services you might add to your roster.
- What do you want your clients to think when they hear your business name? Do you want them to think you’re a fun and energetic company? Or more of a relaxing and upscale atmosphere?
- Do you have any veterinary and medical animal care experience that you want to implement in your pet care business?
- Do you want your business name to be something clever or playful? We’ve seen hundreds of great pet puns! Nowadays, you can even find name generators on the internet that are dedicated to helping you generate the perfect name for your pet sitting business. These can be great sources of inspiration but just be sure to double-check on any names you come across that you like to make sure you aren’t infringing on someone else’s trademark or copyright.
Your company name is often the very first thing potential clients will come across when they find your business. That’s why it’s so important to pick a name that makes an impression! You want something that stands out amidst a sea of competitors, while still keeping in line with your brand's image. It could be something descriptive and straightforward, or it could be something playful – it’s up to you based on your personality and the kind of business you’re building. This is your chance to show off what your business is all about, so don’t be afraid to have a little fun with it! And don’t forget to think about how it’ll look on a logo, website, or business card.
A great way to start the naming process is by writing down 5-10 things you think will be most important about your business. Take the name “Time To Pet,” for example. We wanted people to understand right away that we’re in the pet sitting software business, and that one of our main goals is to save our clients a lot of time. There’s also a bit of playful wordplay in the idea that they’ll have “time to pet” the animals in their care and maybe even a little time for themselves, rather than spending all their time running their business. That’s why, before you even come up with a name, it’s important to think about the feelings you want your business name to evoke in potential customers, existing clients, and your team members.
Step 2: Name Game
Once you have an idea of what you want your name to communicate, it’s time to get creative! A great way to start is by brainstorming and writing everything down. What is your business all about? Is it professionalism? Is it the customer experience? Do you want your clients to know their pets are not only safe but also having a blast in your care? Jot down as many ideas as possible and see where they take you.
As you brainstorm, keep your answers from Step 1 in mind. If your goal is to provide upscale pet care, then a name like “Diamond Pet Sitting” might be more fitting than something playful like “Goofball and the Gang.” If you plan to focus on dog walking, consider adding “dog walker” to your company name. Or, if you're based in a dense urban area, you might incorporate the word “city.” Keywords like these can help clarify your brand and better connect with your target audience.
After you’ve written out your ideas and come up with some keywords to incorporate into your business name, try combining them to see what kinds of names you can create. If you plan for your business to stay small and local, you might even include the location where you’ll be providing services in your company’s name. Using your location can also be a great way to organically boost your SEO when people search for terms like “pet sitter in your city.” However, if you ever plan to expand or open additional locations, be cautious, as using a specific location in your name could eventually limit your brand’s reach.
Try to come up with as many initial name concepts as possible. Write down every name and variation that might work. The more options you have, the more likely you are to land on the best possible name for your business. From there, you can take your time narrowing the list down to around ten strong contenders.
If you are still struggling to find some ideas, the U.S. Small Business Administration can be a good resource. They suggest these three points to remember:
- How does it look? Think about how your business name will appear online – on your website, social media, and as a part of your logo. Make sure it will catch people’s eye in a positive way and look good in different formats.
- What connotations does it evoke? Does it reflect your business philosophy and culture? It's also important for your name to connect with your target market. For example, pet care businesses tend to lean into fun, playful names, but if you’re catering to a high-end professional crowd, you may want to go for something a bit more polished.
- Is your name unique? Remember that you will need to create a domain name, claim your social media profile, and maybe even incorporate your business, so double check that your name isn’t already taken. If you name your company “Best Pet Care,” we’re willing to bet bestpetcare.com isn’t available.
If you’re still having trouble, you can use a resource like the Shopify Business Name Generator to jump-start the creative process. We also recommend checking out this article on 8 Mistakes To Avoid When Naming Your Business.
Step 3: Own Your Name
Before picking a name off of your final list, you need to make sure you can own it – both literally and figuratively. Being able to fully feel and embrace the name you’ll be building a brand around can wait, though. First, you need to ensure that the name you choose is one that can become uniquely yours and no one else’s, which you can do using the following suggestions:
- Make sure the name is not already trademarked. The US Patent and Trademark Office has a great trademark search tool for you to use. If you plan on incorporating your business, you will need to check with your local state as well.
- You’ll also want to make sure the domain name is available for your pet sitting company’s website. There are a lot of Domain Search tools, but this one is especially great. If your domain name is unavailable, you can always search for some similar alternatives, too. Just remember that .com’s are always the best when they’re available.
- Look at the competitors in your area. You don’t want names that are too similar and confuse potential clients. If there is already a company called “Denver’s Best Pet Sitter,” you probably don’t want to name your company “Denver’s Very Best Pet Sitter” or “Denver’s Best Dog Walker.”
- You should also check to make sure the social media accounts for your business name are available. You have a little more flexibility here, but it’s still important to distinguish yourself and your business from the competition.
If you choose to move forward with your chosen business name without heeding any of the suggestions above, you may find yourself in a costly pickle down the line, so it’s important to cover your bases early. If you are found running a business with a name already trademarked by another proprietor, you could find yourself on the receiving end of a cease and desist letter – or worse, facing legal action. Changing your business name isn’t a quick or cheap process either. It’s a big setback, especially when you factor in the cost of updating all of your promotional materials and website content. Those changes can really add up fast, not to mention any legal fees you might incur.
Another aspect to consider is the social ramifications. After all, how will it look to clients, both existing and potential, if your business and all its social accounts suddenly undergo such a massive change? It would surely spark questions and could even cause confusion, especially if you don’t stay on top of updating all the necessary links and places where your business is recommended or listed.
If you’ve been running your business under one name for a long time and have built a solid reputation in your community, suddenly changing your name could throw off your flow of new clients. It can make it much more difficult for people to find the right information about your business or contact you online, which could really disrupt your growth. While it certainly wouldn’t cost you all your clientele, it would inevitably cause a dent in your hard work to become a trusted part of the community, and it would take a lot of time to regain that lost ground.
So, in short, even if it doesn’t seem like a worthwhile investment at the start of your business, it’s actually hugely beneficial to you and your business in the long run. Once you’ve done your due diligence to ensure that no one else is operating under the name you have chosen for your business, you should take the steps necessary to trademark the business name for yourself.
Step 4: Do You Like My Name?
Before you make your final decision, go out and get some feedback. Ideally, this would come from either current or potential customers. If that’s not possible, try to get feedback from someone impartial. Your friends and family love you and want you to succeed, so that can sometimes cloud their judgment. Therefore, it’s best to get thoughts and suggestions from someone you know will be completely honest with you.
As you run the name by them, check how they perceive your business and brand based on the name and what feelings it elicits. Make note of what works and what doesn’t, and workshop it further if needed.
However, whatever feedback they provide, keep in mind these are just their opinions. Just because the barista at your regular coffee shop doesn’t like your favorite name doesn’t mean you can’t still use it. After all, it’s your pet care business and your business name. First and foremost, it has to feel right to you.
Step 5: Please, Call Me By My Legal Name
Once you decide on the perfect name and have taken the suggestions in Step 3 to ensure the name isn’t copyrighted or trademarked, it’s time to own it (literally). The Small Business Association has an excellent section on their website about how to Register Your Business Name.
You should also buy the domain name for your website and secure as many social media accounts with that same name as you can. Even if you don’t plan on using X/Twitter for your business, it’s important to claim the name so no one else (like a competitor) can operate an X/Twitter handle with your company’s name. This will also help avoid confusion for potential customers.
Step 6: Bring Your Name To Life
Once you’ve taken care of the legal end of things, it’s time for the fun stuff! Now you can start creating a website, logo, and marketing materials for your company, like flyers and business cards. Just like your name, your logo will appear on your website and marketing collateral, so make sure it represents your business well.
If you don’t have someone on your team who can design a logo, there are plenty of great online resources, such as Fiverr and 99designs where you can get affordable graphic design services. If you do have someone on your team who can create a logo and other designs, Canva is a great, free graphic design tool to use.
When your promotional materials are complete, be sure to proudly display your business name and logo everywhere you can to attract new customers! We also recommend checking out our resources on using fliers to grow your pet-sitting business and advertising with magnets. Additionally, we have valuable information about building your company website and using local SEO for marketing.
