Getting Off

So, in my new position as an unofficial intern with my family's business, I have had the pleasure of encountering a ton of interesting store names. The title of this entry is probably the most interesting to me. A strange thing to call your clothing store, but they have a lot of fans online, so I guess that's cool. Other names include annoying puns that don't actually have a punchline like "B Younique." I mean, yes, I get that by changing the spelling, you've kept the phonetics of the word but added the word "you" in there...but there isn't actually anything clever about doing this...There are a million other examples, but I don't want to hurt any one's feelings.

So, in case you're thinking of starting a store, here are some do's and don't's I would like to share with you:

-Unless you're opening a pet store, stay away from puns. They probably aren't as funny as your friends say they are.

-Names that have names in them are generally OK. "Liza's Boutique," "Clementine's Bowl of Oranges." This kind of thing makes things personal and can be as boring or bizarre as you like, which is cool.

-Unless you're opening a pet store, do not rhyme and do not use alliteration. We are not opening a children's reading center, there is no need to be cute.

-I will say that anything with the word "Haberdashery" wins 110 points in my book. If the word does not apply to your business, perhaps there are other antiquated words that will.

-There is a difference between whimsical and horrible. Make sure this line is never crossed...and it is a fine line...so tread lightly.

-Adding "Co" or "Inc" or "Boutique" sort of adds clout to anything that precedes. For example, "Soap" isn't a very good name but "Soap Co," "Soap Inc," "Soap Boutique" sound great - they're fine - descriptive and more or less sophisticated.

-Claiming greatness is tricky but if you can do it without guaranteeing a let down, that's cool. "Greatest Clothes On Earth" is an example of something that cannot live up to it's name. At the same time, "This Shop Is OK" isn't much better. If you can't think of anything good, juts add "Shop" to your last name (unless you have my last name...that wouldn't work at all).

Ok - that's all I have. Good luck.