Business name help?

[LittleBee]

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right area, but I don't know where else to post this.

I am in the process of picking a business name. I currently make soaps, body scrubs, hand cream, and lip balm. I am learning how to make candles and will eventually offer them for sale as well. I use all natural and organic ingredients wherever possible, but I do not claim that my products are "100% natural" or "100% organic." I also do not intend to mislead my customers, and have them think that my products are something they're not. I want to emphasize to my customers that everything I make is as natural and organic as possible.

Having said all that, the name I picked out in my mind a long time ago was Little Bee Organics. Excited about my name, I registered a domain name, knowing that I would eventually open a shop selling my soaps and other items.

Now that I am researching more of the "business" part of my journey, I have come across the controversy among many who believe that using the word "organic" in a business name is misleading when one does not sell 100% organic or certified organic products.

Worried that I may be using a regulated word incorrectly, I researched this through the FDA and USDA. I learned that using the word "organic" in my business name, in the way that I intended to use it, is perfectly alright and is not breaking any rules or laws that are in place with the FDA or USDA. In fact, they have very lenient "rules" on how one uses this term, and most of the time, they don't really have any concern on how one uses this term.

After doing my research, I feel confident in using the name I picked out and love. However, I feel as though there is still this "stigma" associated with using this term in business names among the community of others involved in this sort of craft. I feel as though I may be frowned upon by others in places such as this (message boards and community selling sites).

I am not sure I understand why there is such a debate regarding this topic. I would like to use the word "organics" in my business name, because many of my products are organic/have organic ingredients in them. I do not want to be lumped into the category of other sellers who misuse this word, those who claim to have "100% organic" products, when in fact, they don't. I don't want to be lumped into the category of other sellers who do not disclose ingredient lists, who make false claims/advertisements of their products. I full intend to disclose all ingredients used, and to explain that my products include organic ingredients wherever possible.

So....having said all that (if you are still with me, then bless your heart ), do you think I have cause for concern? Or do you think using this term in my business name, in the way I intend to use it, is a non-issue?

And my last question...

In case this does become a huge issue...do you have any other name suggestions for me?

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your help!

Edited November 22, 2010 by LittleBee

[safetysue]

OK - I'm not good with this but what comes to mind is Little Green Bee with byline about the organic part. That's the best I can come up with right now.

[LittleBee]

OK - I'm not good with this but what comes to mind is Little Green Bee with byline about the organic part. That's the best I can come up with right now.

That's really cute! I'll have to think about this, as I'm still really attached to my original name, and I still don't see a clear reason as to why I shouldn't use it.

Also, I *just now* realized that there is a Business section of these forums...ooops. :rolleyes2 Maybe I should have posted this over there? Sorry!

[Georgia]

I recycle...I use reusable shopping bags...but I don't get the fuss about organic. Mostly because, as you say, the rules are loose and people take liberties with it. As long as you aren't misrepresenting yourself, I see no issue with your name. (Please don't use Lovespell essential oil, though!)

There is a line of clothing called Little Bee Organics.

That said, I do like The Little Green Bee...pampering you the organic way.

[Wessex]

Just my personal opinion here. If I was looking at buying something from X Organics, and then found out it is not an organic product, I would be irritated enough to not buy. It would seem like they were trying to misrepresent their products. I know that is not what you are trying to do, like I said just my own opinion. What about having that name and also another, similiar name for the products that are not organic? Especially if you are going to eventually sell candles, as the only organic wax I have ever seen is a beeswax (and that is rare due to the rules for bees).

Like I said, personal opinion.

Steve

[LittleBee]

Just my personal opinion here. If I was looking at buying something from X Organics, and then found out it is not an organic product, I would be irritated enough to not buy. It would seem like they were trying to misrepresent their products. I know that is not what you are trying to do, like I said just my own opinion. What about having that name and also another, similiar name for the products that are not organic? Especially if you are going to eventually sell candles, as the only organic wax I have ever seen is a beeswax (and that is rare due to the rules for bees).

Like I said, personal opinion.

Steve

But see, this is where I'm getting hung up. ALL of my products will be made with organic ingredients, so that is why I thought the name would be fine.

However, once I start selling candles...then you're right...the name wouldn't be as fitting anymore because I guess there's no such thing as an organic candle. Hmmm...

So, what if I sold my organic bath & body under Little Bee Organics...and then when I'm ready to sell candles, make it more like a "branching off" of my business name...such as something like, Candles by Little Bee, or something of the sort.

Do you think that would solve the problem? I certainly don't want to misrepresent my products, or mislead anyone.

[LittleBee]

Or...I was just thinking...as long as I was upfront in the product description, couldn't I still sell candles under the same name/website? For example, someone is browsing my organic bath & body products at Little Bee Organics, and when they come to my candle section, the description could include something like, "...while our candles are not considered organic, we do use an all natural soy wax...." or something to that effect.

Yay or nay?

[LittleBee]

I recycle...I use reusable shopping bags...but I don't get the fuss about organic. Mostly because, as you say, the rules are loose and people take liberties with it. As long as you aren't misrepresenting yourself, I see no issue with your name. (Please don't use Lovespell essential oil, though!)

:laugh2:

There is a line of clothing called Little Bee Organics.

That said, I do like The Little Green Bee...pampering you the organic way.

A clothing line with the same name doesn't bother me. The Little Green Bee is a really cute idea. I can't wrap my mind around what a logo would look like though....a green bee? Hmmm, I'm not sure how to picture that looking good. Plus, "little bee" has special meaning to me, so I'd like to keep those two words together...maybe The Green Little Bee would be better. Still, can't picture how a green bee on a logo would look, LOL.

[IwantItgreen]

Or...I was just thinking...as long as I was upfront in the product description, couldn't I still sell candles under the same name/website? For example, someone is browsing my organic bath & body products at Little Bee Organics, and when they come to my candle section, the description could include something like, "...while our candles are not considered organic, we do use an all natural soy wax...." or something to that effect.

Yay or nay?

How would you label your candles? "Little Bee Organics"? Or would you create a new label? Just something to think about.

[LittleBee]

So, I think using this name is just getting too complicated. *sigh*

Can someone help me come up with a good name, then? I would greatly appreciate it.

The name I've been playing around with in my head is Little Bee Green. It keeps the words "little bee" together, bc they have special meaning to me, but I thought it was a cute play on words at the end of the name: "be green." Cute? Stupid? Please let me know what you think. The only hesitation I have is, how would I incorporate the word green in my logo? I was designing something that had the words Little Bee Organics with a dotted swirly "flying" line (if that makes sense) and a little bee. I'd like to keep it simple. I was thinking I could have the word Little Bee in black letters and the word Green in green letters. Or maybe just add a green leaf somehow into the logo? I just don't want it to look cluttered. Any ideas?

I think I may like Little Bee Green the best, but other ideas are:

Green Little Bee

Little Bee Bath & Body

Can you help me brainstorm a few more ideas? I'm stumped.

[LittleBee]

Anyone?

[ProudMarineMom]

Maybe Little Bee

Originals

Naturals

Essentials

Basics

Elements

Edited November 22, 2010 by ProudMarineMom

[LittleBee]

Maybe Little Bee

Originals

Naturals

Essentials

Basics

Elements

Thank you, those are great! I like Naturals and Basics, but I'm still not sure those are the right fit for me...

[LittleBee]

Oooh, just thought of one....

What about:

Little Bee Bubbles

[LittleBee]

Well, I think I'm stuck between two names right now:

Little Bee Soaps

and

Little Bee Naturals

I love Little Bee Soaps because it's short and sweet, easy to say and spell. However, I'm not selling just soaps. I don't mind having "Little Bee Soaps" on all my B&B labels, but I think it might look weird on my candle labels, right?

I really like Little Bee Naturals, but I think it's not as short, sweet, and cute as Little Bee Soaps. I also think it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily, and kind of gets "swallowed" when you say it. KWIM?

Any thoughts on these two names, and the concerns I have with them? Any more suggestions for me? I'd appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks!

Edited November 22, 2010 by LittleBee

[ProudMarineMom]

I'm not very good at this either and I know what you mean. Little Bee Naturals looks nice in spelling, gets the point across, but doesn't roll off the tongue as easily Little Bee Basics or Little Bee Soaps.

I like Little Bee Soaps, think that is really cute. You could say Little Bee Soaps and Such. But, that is kinda long. Maybe Little Bee Soaps for your B&B stuff and Little Bee Scents for your candles? Little Bee Soaps and Scents.

Little Bee is a cute name and you should be able to come up with a nice logo. There has got to be a perfect word to go with it...

J

Edited November 22, 2010 by ProudMarineMom

[LittleBee]

I appreciate all of your help! You are so kind.

Okay, I have scrapped Little Bee Naturals. It just didn't fit for me.

So, now I'm deciding between:

Little Bee Soaps

Little Bee Soap Company

Little Bee Garden

I like Little Bee Soaps because it's short, sweet, easy to say, and easy to spell. My only concern is that it doesn't include the other products I'll be selling, such as candles (eventually).

I like Little Bee Soap Company, because I feel like I can still call it Little Bee Soap(s) or even Little Bee for short, and I can picture a logo where "Little Bee" is big, and "Soap Co." is underneath, smaller. This would look nice on a candle, because even though the company name has soap on it, your eyes are mostly drawn to the "Little Bee" in big letters; one wouldn't notice the "Soap Co." underneath right away. I think this would help the issue of "how to do label my candles with a name that has 'soap' in it?"

Little Bee Garden is cute, I think...I picture a little honey bee, buzzing around a garden of flowers (not necessarily as a logo, just the image that the name gives me when I hear it). I also think of the word garden as a "garden" of products that I will offer - it leaves it open for me to sell just about anything.

Ok...so...given all that....any more thoughts on my ideas? I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, with some nice possibilities...but I'd like to hear others' opinions on the names.

Thanks so much!

[safetysue]

I don't know - maybe it's just me but what's wrong with just using Little Bee. Put the logo and then name on everything you make. My company name is Taylored Scent - It's not Taylored Scent Candles on the candles, Taylored Scent Melt or Taylored Scent Soap....It just Taylored Scent. Wonder makes more than just bread. There are zillions of "candle companies" that offer soap, lotions & body sprays but they don't list everything they sell in the company name. Just my two scents...pun intended.

[LittleBee]

Oh, I would love to use just Little Bee, but it's already taken. Hence, my search for the perfect "Little Bee ____" name for my business.

[EricofAZ]

Some things to consider:

1. Don't use your personal name in the business name. That fails the A1 test. You know, if it looks bad on page A1 of the newspaper, try and avoid it.

2. You might do some internet searches to see what domain names are available that might match your business name. Little Bee Soaps might translate to lbs.com but that's taken. So maybe some catch phrase that helps people think of the website and the business name in one shot.

3. Certainly the name should say something about the business. Narrow enough to identify the business, broad enough to allow for expansion. LB Soaps is easy, I know you sell soaps. Probably pet products and shampoos. I wouldn't think candles or jewelry. I'm not sure what LB Naturals means, but that's me, maybe "those in the know" are OK with that.

4. Once the business is identified as to what it does, slogans are great for telling folks how you approach the product. LB Soaps "Naturals for the natural" etc.

5. Think about branding. Good names, slogans, websites, and images along with a logo and color scheme all go into branding. Once you do it, stick with it.

Hope that helps.

[LittleBee]

*Sigh* Well, nothing is seeming to fit right. I've come full circle and am starting to consider Green Little Bee again. I'm not sure if it flows nicely or not. Thoughts?

ETA: I would have the tagline: "All Natural Bath, Body & Home"

Edited November 23, 2010 by LittleBee

[blazerina]

You know, personally, I really like the sound of Little Bee Garden. It encompasses the 'organic' nature of your products with out blatantly advertising it and leaving yourself open for scrutiny.

But mostly, before any of that thought hit me, I liked Little Bee Garden because you can shorten it to L.B.G. which I think rolls off the tongue nicely, and would always fit on a label. Little Bee Garden is also generic enough that you can use it for ANY of your products. Your tag line can then be more specific, ie 'Soap, Candles & More Made From The Best of Nature.' - or something to that effect.

And there is always 'Little Bee's Green Garden': tag line, "From Nature With Love.' (unless that's used already, lol, sounds so familiar for some reason!)

How bout... 'Bee-ing Green As A Little Bee Can Be'

p.s. Just re read your post and seen that you already have a tag line chosen. Just be sure you can stand behind the 'all Natural' label. 'Made with Natural products' is very different from 'All Natural'. Can you really make an 'All Natural' Candle? And do you want to lock yourself into that very specific niche'. Something to think about anyways.

Edited November 24, 2010 by blazerina

[deena]

I would be at a loss to even think where to begin for a business name.

I think I agree Little Bee Garden is a sweet name.

[wiscwicks]

Just be careful with Little Green Bee. That was actually on the list of names I was thinking of using, hung up on it for weeks, but there were so many companies with similar names that came up when I did a search, that if someone forgot your exact name, they would end up on someone else's website.

Little Bee Garden is cute. Little Bee does make me think of honey, bees wax, or flowers, sort of giving me a pre-conceived idea of what the products are made of, which is why I personally strayed away from that because I'm not actually making any products from bees wax, but rather soy wax. But your idea of adding Garden makes me think of a garden, full of different varieties of things. And since you're making a variety of products, that makes a lot of sense.

If you're making soaps and bath products, what about something like "Pampered Little Bee". Don't know if it's even available, but the first image I get is then a little bee sitting in a beauty salon chair, or a little bee sitting in a bath tub full of bubbles and candles all around the tub. Putting Pampered before the Little Bee makes me think more about the action of being pampered, versus putting Little Bee first which makes me think the products are from the Little Bee. Does that make sense? 9 years at an advertising agency and I learned that it really makes a difference which words you put first and what word you're trying to emphasize on. People have preconceived notions with certain words, and you have to use them very carefully.

Ask someone to give you their initial gut reaction when they hear your name idea, say the name to them, and then give them 5 seconds before they answer. Then you'll know if you're on the right track.

Hope this helps "disect" some of the things to look at with naming. It's so hard because it really does set the tone for the entire line of what you're creating. Good luck, little bee! :-)

[simplybeelightful]

So why are you sticking with the little bee if you're not making products with beeswax? That seems a little more misleading than the organic part.

Edited November 26, 2010 by simplybeelightful