Help me name my small business!

[heyelander]

well at least it doesn't sound like an escort service like some proposals

0.o

What do you think they do at Earl's paint and body shop!?!?!

[madducks]

I like Mariday Park Landscaping Professionals, it sounds a bit upscale as well as implying that you're not a fly-by night operation.

I also like this name.

[Teenwolf]

I've come to a decision on the name, and I thank everyone here for the spirited discussion. I also like the sound of Mariday Park Landscaping Professionals, but at the end of the day, my wife gets the final veto. She was reading a lot of articles about naming that mention the importance of keeping the word and syllable count as low as possible. So it's looking like Mariday Park Landscaping is the final answer. I like my wife's reasoning that "professionals" is already implied in the name of the upper class neighbourhood. Ultimately, there are a few "something-something Landscaping" companies in town, but none with the localized appeal I'm trying to tap into. They're pretty bad, actually: "KG Landscaping", "Artistic Landscaping" (okay, that one's fine), "Robyn Landscape"... pretty weak.

I like the funny names too. "Lawn Order" is a local that always makes me chuckle, but I think they might have re-branded or went under. Safer to stick with the serious name.

Vancouver also had 1 company that was a zero carbon footprint company, called "The Silent Gardener", where they ride a bike around town with a trailer full of gear and do most work by hand... I would love something like this, but I'd be laughed out of town if I tried this locally.

[Hornsby]

She's wrong, but don't tell her that...

[Gregg]

She's wrong, but don't tell her that...

Agreed.

If I was looking for landscaping and saw these:

Mariday Park Landscaping

Mariday Park Landscaping Professionals

I would call Mariday Park Landscaping Professionals.

[heyelander]

I like the funny names too. "Lawn Order" is a local that always makes me chuckle, but I think they might have re-branded or went under. Safer to stick with the serious name.

My favorite was a worksite generator providing company I saw... I wasn't sure if it was the product name or company name, but it was "Watts in the Box!"

[Sour Masher]

I think you made the right call going with MPL. I am in the "professionals" not needed/makes it too long camp. To me, if you felt you had space to add another word, I'd have gone with Landscaping and Design, or another descriptor that expands your potential client base, not an adjective that should be taken as a given for any respectable business.

[Long John]

I know I'm late to the game here, but I have to throw a couple names in:

War of the Roses Landscaping
Rollin with my Gnomies
Two In the Bush Landscaping (nobody actually wants a bird in their hand unless it's dead and you definitely don't want THAT imagery associated with your business)
Thunder Bay Vampires (this was my fantasy baseball team name for many years - never actually been to Thunder Bay)
TBD - Thunder Bay Design, External

[Teenwolf]

I'm entering my 3rd year with Mariday Park Landscaping. The name has been a huge part of my success, but my unparalleled skillset is what keeps the clients happy, flooding me with hedge trim, tree trim, and gardening projects. This is great, as these jobs pay better than lawn care and provide more emotional gratification. I do about 30 lawns to fill in the space between big projects.

I even managed to quit snow shoveling, working retail in the winter instead. Everything going perfectly...

Yesterday, I saw an ad pop up for a new landscaping company, Mariday Mowers... can you fucking believe that? Same business, same name. I've dropped flyers in every mailbox in the 'hood (700 total), 3 times now, so the kid has seen my flyers. He definitely stole the name. If I were incorporated, I would sue him or otherwise force a change, but being listed as a sole proprietorship, I don't think I have any way to dispute it.

His business will fail. He's in his 2nd year of landscaping (21st year for me). He only offers lawn care, which carries a lower profit margin. His employees will be laid off or have hours cut 2 months into the season when lawns burn out. Lawn care finishes early to mid September, my work extends into early November, so he will be out of work 2 months before other companies. Its a horrible, stupid business model, but I'm not sure how well funded he is.

Despite his lack of impact on my business directly, I do not like people potentially confusing the two businesses. Stealing my intellectual property is the thing that hurts. Its war now. My current mood is an Ivan Drago meme saying "I will crush you".

[TranaGreg]

might be worth reaching out to let him know that you are considering legal action if he doesn't change his name ... if it's a kid that might be enough to scare him ...

[Steve 2.0]

hedge trim, tree trim, .

As long as you are getting trim, what's the problem?

[chancellor]

Even if you were incorporated, I'm not sure you'd win this one. If Mariday Park is a recognized geographical area in your city, there's much broader latitude in use of that name. And I suspect if it came down to legal brass tacks, using "mowing" is different enough from "landscaping" that he'd have a decent chance of winning. I agree with you that it sucks, but I just don't see a win for you there.

If you're confident he'll fail, I'd just let him fail and then file for trademarks for two or three names - I think you can file online for a trademark application in Canada for somewhere around $400. It's been a little over ten years since I did that for my Italian company, so my info may be out of date.

[heyelander]

As long as you are getting trim, what's the problem?

quite possibly the raciest joke I've ever "heard" you make

[Steve 2.0]

quite possibly the raciest joke I've ever "heard" you make

Is that a complaint? or just a statement?

[nullnor]

i thought it was customary for landscape companies to have the word 'Hill' in their name. 'Fir tree Hill landscape', 'Spruce Tree Hill landscape'. Cherry Hill landscape. Natures Hill Landscape, Pine Tree Hill landscape. people like hills. park is good too though. i am not sure what is better a park or a hill.