Naming Your Midwife Business: BIG DECISION FOR YOUR BRAND

We all envision our office space and being next to a women during labor. How much time do you really spend picking out the perfect name? There is more pressure on this decision in your business planning than you think. Your brand and midwife business name has many levels of rewards and consequences of the message you are sending out to potential customers.

Do you want to get lost in the crowd with a generic name that everyone else is like? Do you have a name picked out that someone else in your state is currently using (go to state business look up website to verify that)? Do you have a name that is so hard to even understand what your business is about (“Lotus Birth”)? Will families be able to find you on the internet searching if the name is too different than the services you are providing (“Grand Rapids Health”)?

Your name says a lot about you, your mission, your philosophy of care, your branded image to the community. Pick something empowering, unique, easy to understand by vast majority of the community, easy to say, and MOST importantly speaks to you! I have seen people pick out a midwife business name in five minutes and others spend months making a list and pondering pros and cons of all the choices.

Ask your friends and family for advice. Explain what your midwife business will be about and see what feedback you get. Throw by them already brainstormed midwife business name ideas. Do a contest to have your community help create the name (great marketing tool)! If it isn’t just you creating this midwife business, compromise with your partner on something that covers what the practices short term and long term goals are. For example, if you want to eventually add primary care to the clinic with a Family Nurse Practitioner, picking a name with women’s health care in the wording will loose much of the community potential for primary care services in the future.

If your niche will be breast feeding support, pick a name that talks about lactation counseling, lactation consultation, breast feeding, or breast support. “Breast is Best” is bold and tells the community that you support breast feeding mothers. Some people might be uncomfortable using word breast when talking about your business, so maybe focus on “Lactation Latch Support” or “Lactation Support System.”

Taking the time to ponder the proper name is ESSENTIAL. There is always an option to create a more generic legal business name and then have your signs show the “doing business as” name. Just make sure both names aren’t already registered with another business. Don’t buy any marketing material until you know that picked name is truly yours (state will mail you confirmation you have that name registered).

This is a very important step in your midwife business plan. Make a name that is easy to say and remember. “West Michigan Women’s Support Network and Resources” is a MOUTH FULL! You want something people can say in 2-4 short words. Longer it is, less likely people will remember your name to spread the word and do your marketing for you. Creating a mission, lists of services being offered, and goals first will help focus your words towards the right business name. Let your midwife business name speak to the community who you are, what your midwife business is all about, and make a statement!

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKdC0sJsIlU