Dollars To Doughnuts Is Cliche
November 27th, 2006 by Chief Nut
It’s been seven days since my last post. Taking a Holiday break was intentionally meant to be a time for me to recharge the ol’ batteries. What I didn’t expect was how effective this simple act was in doing just that … and how much I really needed it. The point? Take multiple days off (not just weekends) for a mental break on a regular basis. Don’t wait until you need it.
Back to our regularly scheduled blogging!
The number of times I’ve been asked about “names” in the past two months surely must be a sign that people struggle with this fundamental task. Finding the right name that’s effective, descriptive, defendable, and powerful is truly a super-human feat. It’s one that takes time, patience and creativity. Oh, and it’s easily the most important decision a business owner can make in launching their new venture!
There are dozens and dozens of ideas on how to approach this task. I’ve decided that this topic not only needs to be it’s own category in my blog, it also needs to be turned into a learning product … one that teaches entrepreneurs how to come up with a name that will stand the test of time and will rocket their product or service to success.
Tip One: Although directly using a cliche should be avoided, it’s a good exercise to jot them down and seek them out simply for the exercise that doing so will jog your thinking and get you going in a new direction. When you’re listing cliches, take the time to list ones that are indirectly related to your product. For example, if you sell fishing tackle, you’d quickly come up with “a fish out of water” as one of a dozen cliche phrases. Don’t stop there. Start thinking laterally and you’d also come up with “don’t rock the boat” and “waiting with baited breath”. Here are some web sites that will help you find these phrases.
Finding Cliches
The Cliche Finder
Movie Cliches
Sports Cliches
Cliches in Politics
Indeed, the process of coming up with a new name (company, website, product, service, etc.) is complicated. Come back often to read more tips! Better yet, click on a “chicklet” in the right column to subscribe to our RSS feed.
