naming a business is a serious undertaking. your business name tells the world what you do, it should represent your style, and it will be used to identify you all over the internet + social media.

for the inaugural post of the bonhomieBLOG, i thought it would be fitting, as an introduction, to talk about the name of my business – the definition, the history + what it represents. (i’ve also thrown in a few tips for those who might be playing the name game right about now)

some business owners choose to use their own name + a target keyword to name their business – and I love that. but, yeah…. for obvious reasons it wouldn’t work out so well with “kirstie”. i cringe when i imagine the typos and mispronunciations. so i went a different route. i went with something a bit more abstract. but as random as it may seem, there was a method to my madness…..

so let’s start with the definition:

bon·ho·mie: /ˌbänəˈmē,ˈbänəmē/
noun: bonhomie: cheerful friendliness; geniality; late 18th century: from French, from bonhomme ‘good fellow.’

why “bonhomie”? for me, the word calls to mind good times with friends and family, maybe a casual picnic on a bright, warm spring day. and that’s exactly how I aim to tailor my client experience: comfortable, no stress, fun + enjoyable. when you’re branding your business or planning a wedding, stress can come at ya from every angle. but not from over this way! working with me is easy like sunday morning, baby!

and there’s a bit more behind the “bonhomie” name….

a twelve year history, to be specific. i began my entrepreneurial journey as bonhomieJEWELRY, handcrafting artisan jewelry. then i evolved into bonhomieEVENTS, as a wedding + special event planner . and now…….

bonhomieDESIGN. where I’m truly meant to be, the perfect fit.

if you’re in the thick of trying to name your business, here are a couple tips for ya:

1. avoid names that are hard to spell or difficult to pronounce;
2. make sure the name you choose will allow you to grow as a business, i.e., names with a specific location or a very particular product;
3. google it!
4. get feedback on your top choices;
5. do the legal legwork – trademark search + secretary of state search

but bottom line…? make sure YOU love it! the name is one thing but most important is you and the uniqueness that you offer.

I’d love to hear from you about your business name – why you chose it, what it means to you and how it reflects your brand story!