This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our affiliate disclaimer in the footer menu for more information. Thank you for your support!
You’re ready to choose a name for your proofreading business and know the power of a good name. You’ve done the training and acquired the skills, and you’re just waiting to put your eagle eyes to use. But how do you choose a unique name for your new company?
The name you choose for your proofreading business should be relevant, memorable, and easy to spell. You will also want to pick a name that doesn’t limit your company’s growth if you decide to offer other services like copyediting or editing in the future.
Naming your company can seem like a tall order, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ll walk through some helpful pointers for selecting a name and figure out how to brainstorm noteworthy names in the first place.
When you think you’ve got a winner, we’ll see how to check if it’s available and claim it if it is!
How to Choose a Name for Your Proofreading Business
The same principles of naming any company apply to naming a proofreading company.
Let’s see a few basic guidelines to consider when you’re playing the name game.
Choose a Name That’s Relevant and Descriptive
Your business name should be relevant and describe all the services you offer—it should be all-encompassing.
And your name needs to make what you do immediately obvious. You’ll need to reconsider the name if it doesn’t reflect your services.
If your company’s name isn’t tied to what you do, no one will remember you.
To ensure your name is on point, try thinking about what keywords people would type into Google to find the services you offer.
Choosing a name shouldn’t be a grind; it should be fun! You’re naming the company that reflects the hard work you’ve put in to become a proofreader.
Select a Name That’s Memorable, Short, and Easy to Spell
In addition to being descriptive and future-proof, you’ll want a memorable name. The trick is to choose a unique, catchy name to stand out from the competition while still being relevant. Just use your imagination, and you’ll nail it.
Remember to keep it short and sweet. If your name takes up too much real estate, it becomes difficult to remember. And even if someone does remember it, you don’t want it to be a pain to type out.
Your name should be easy to pronounce too. Names that are easy to say are easier to remember.
Finally, you’ll want to pick a name that’s simple to spell.
For example, you may not want to call your company Savvy Proofreading because not everyone spells savvy the same way (e.g., savy, savvie). Know what I mean? 😉
It’s also best to leave out special characters and numbers unless they make sense for your company’s title.
Pick a Future-Proof Name (Don’t Pigeonhole Your Business!)
One of the biggest mistakes people make when naming their company is picking a name that limits their potential growth. Will you eventually offer other services that fall within the editorial realm?
If your answer is no, you may want to consider that your no may morph into a yes.
Many proofreaders find that the proofreading services they offer end up being a launchpad for additional offerings.
Proofreaders May Opt to Provide More than Proofreading
Some proofreaders decide to offer copyediting, too, since they’re so closely related. If you’ve completed a comprehensive proofreading course, you’re in a prime position to learn how to copyedit.
Other proofreaders decide to learn how to do developmental or line editing.
And then you have those who begin to provide services a bit further removed from proofreading but still related: content writing, copywriting, beta reading, formatting services, fact-checking, and consulting for self-publishing authors. The list goes on.
So keep this in mind when you’re toying with the title of your soon-to-be business.
Top-Notch Tip: Consider what services you want to offer now and later.
You May Want to Choose a Name That’s Not Too Niche
What do I mean by a not-too-niche name?
For example, it may not be ideal to name your proofreading business Fiction Fixer if there’s even a fraction of a chance you may want to proof nonfiction texts at some point.
While a targeted name can make your company more memorable to writers who fit your niche (nice!), you may regret your decision later if you want to branch out.
I had no intention of starting a blog when I first started proofreading. Nor did I think I would offer copyediting services either. As they say, there’s the plan, and then there’s what happens.
Leave Anything Local Out of Your Company’s Name
In the interest of standing out from the crowd, you may think it would be a good move to include the name of your city or state in your company’s name.
However, this isn’t the best idea.
For example, if someone named their enterprise Portland Proofreading because they live in Oregon, people may assume they only help clients in Portland.
Considering most freelance proofreaders have international clients, you wouldn’t want to risk limiting yourself by making your location part of your name.
Get Feedback from Friends and Family
Whether we’re talking about proofreading or choosing a name for a proofreading business, it’s remarkable what friends and family can spot that we can’t.
Running a name or two by family members or friends can help you pinpoint potential problems with the names you’ve chosen.
Getting Another Perspective Is Useful
Sometimes something makes sense to me, but I fail to consider how it may come off to someone else. Case in point: the name I almost selected for my proofreading company.
Initially, I was going to call my business Purrfect Prose. I envisioned a cute cat with a monocle for my logo. He was holding a red pen in his paw too.
I still think this is kind of cute.
But my dad thought it sounded more cutesy than professional.
Maybe he was right.
I didn’t want my company’s name to conjure up images of Hello Kitty (“Lo-Lo Titty,” as a young student of mine called her 😊) instead of a competent proofreader.
Plus, proofreaders are still human, so even though we strive for perfection, we’re not perfect.
I definitely didn’t want a part of my business’s name (Purrfect) to represent something I couldn’t deliver.
Common Methods of Choosing a Name for Your Company
Now that we have some pointers for choosing a good name, let’s discover some of the most popular methods for naming a business.
Use Your Name as Part of Your Company’s Name
Many proofreaders use their first name, last name, or initials paired with the word proofreading. Using your name can be especially helpful if you’re already a well-known entity in some corner of the publishing industry.
However, most people aren’t, and that’s perfectly fine! Using your name with a keyword (e.g., proofreading) is a safe play, but I like it.
I thought about calling my business Babcock Proofreading since Babcock is my last name.
The keyword you use will make your name relevant, and your name is unique to you. Since proofreaders sometimes acquire clients by word of mouth, using your name can be a solid strategy.
Make Wordplay Work for You
If you’re clever and love to play with words (I bet you do!), you may be able to produce a catchy and creative name.
A Pun Can Be a Ton of Fun
And so can a rhyme if you have the time. Some of you may be familiar with the supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly. A name like that is sure to stand out in someone’s mind.
Many other enterprises utilize puns to make a name memorable. For example, a restaurant in Plainville, Massachusetts, is called Thai Tanic. Catchy!
Use Alliteration to Make Your Name Memorable
I love alliteration and try to employ it in my blog posts to add interest to my writing.
Alliteration can make a business name sound pleasing to the ear, making people more likely to remember it.
PayPal and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are organizations that use alliteration to their advantage.
Well, my grandmother calls it “Bed, Bath, and Be Gone,” but she’s over a hundred years old, so I’m beyond impressed!
Appeal to People’s Emotions
Your business name can play on words or play on emotions.
You can appeal to people’s emotions by using descriptive adjectives. What adjectives come to mind when you think of improving someone’s writing?
Polished, professional, and refined are the first ones I think of.
Could you include one of these adjectives in your company’s name?
You can even appeal to people’s emotions by choosing an animal that evokes certain feelings or ideas. For example, eagles and hawks have excellent eyesight, and people tend to mention that proofreaders have eagle eyes.
What if your company incorporated one of these animals into its title?
Could it be something like Hawkeyed Help?
Create a Name Based on a Desired Outcome or Problem
Here are two alliterative names based on a desired outcome:
- Polished Prose
- Write Right
And here are a couple of alliterative names based on solving a problem:
- Typo Terminator
- Error Eraser
I know I’ve given you a lot of elements to consider, but don’t worry. A name isn’t going to make or break your proofreading company.
Clients will care far more about how you can help them than the name you pin on your services.
The important thing is to choose a name you resonate with, get feedback, and then move on!
If you love your business name, other people will love it too.
Checklist for Features of a Good Business Name
- future-proof
- descriptive
- memorable
- short
- spelling-friendly
- easy to pronounce
- nonlocal
- family/friend-approved
Use a Business Name Generator for Inspiration
If thinking up names makes your head spin or you’ve momentarily misplaced your creativity, you may want to try a name generator to spark ideas.
You’ll probably be happiest with a name you come up with yourself, but if a name generator turns out a name that appeals to you, you can run with it.
Truic has a business name generator you can use.
The site also has other helpful information about starting a company.
You can always put your spin on whatever comes out of the generator.
At the very least, the generator can help to get your creative juices flowing!
Refer to a List of Proofreading Business Names for Ideas
Soocial published an article called “355 Proofreading Business Name Ideas That Suggest Quality” if you want even more ideas—or ideas for ideas. 😊
The names on their site are conveniently divided into four categories:
- catchy
- clever
- unique
- creative
They say that these names are up for grabs, so feel free to pick your favorite. However, you’ll need to make sure the name you select is available and doesn’t infringe on someone’s trademark. (We’ll talk about that soon.)
Consider How Your Logo Will Pair with Your Business’s Name
When brainstorming names for my proofreading business, I kept the logo design in mind.
A strong logo can help people remember your company over someone else’s, and some names lend themselves to creating a memorable logo more than others.
I’ve seen many proofreaders use their name as a logo, which works fine.
Others will want to have a more symbolic logo. It’s just something to consider when choosing a name.
Think about Whether You’ll Be Using a Slogan
I don’t have a slogan for my business, but you may want to include one with yours. When trying to think of names, I thought about ones that made sense when applying a tagline.
Here are a couple of examples I came up with:
- Skyscraper Proofreading “Take Your Writing to New Heights”
- Porcupine Proofreading “Look Sharp in Writing”
Whether you have a slogan is up to you; it’s another element to contemplate.
Choosing a .com Domain Is Best for Now
I assume you plan to build a website to have an online presence. I think having a site is a good business move for all proofreaders.
I wrote an article to help you with the process of starting a proofreading business. This post talks about how to create a website and the information to include on each page of your site.
A Website Helps Establish Trust with Clients
Even if your customers don’t find you through your site, having one makes you look more professional and helps build trust with potential clients.
In this article about strategies to help proofreaders find clients, I mention building a website and creating business cards that display your site’s address.
Although domain names (website addresses) that end in .net and .org are becoming more popular, people are still in the habit of typing .com.
Since we’re so used to websites ending in .com, I think it’s still a good idea to use that as a domain extension instead of one of the lesser-known extensions.
People may remember the name of your business, but if your extension is something other than .com, folks probably won’t be able to find you as easily.
However, you may live outside the United States and proofread in a language other than English. In that case, you may want to consider a domain extension specific to your country of residence.
Be Sure to Avoid Trademark Infringement
A crucial aspect of choosing your proofreading business name is ensuring you’re not infringing on anyone else’s trademark.
Here’s how the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) defines the word trademark:
“A trademark can be any word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination of these things that identifies your goods or services. It’s how customers recognize you in the marketplace and distinguish you from your competitors.”
– the USPTO
Whatever you decide to name your company, you need to make sure it can’t be confused with the name of another company in the same industry (or even a related field).
I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t give you legal advice on how to avoid trademark infringement.
However, you can go here to learn about how to use the trademark search system, which is part of the USPTO. If you need help, you can ask the USPTO virtual assistant.
Please note that this site is for US citizens only. If you live outside the US, you’ll need to comply with the laws in your country.
If you do a trademark search and it doesn’t yield any results, that’s a good sign.
However, someone is granted trademark protection simply by using a trademark—not because they registered it with the USPTO.
Therefore, as mentioned, you’ll need to see if a business in your industry (or a similar one) already uses the name you’re considering (or a name that could be confused with your potential name).
Make Sure Your Desired Name Is Available
Another essential aspect of naming your business is to ensure you haven’t chosen a domain name that another organization already uses.
Although your domain name doesn’t have to match your business name exactly, it’s recommended in most cases to help with brand recognition.
If you’re unclear about the difference between a domain name and a business name, here’s a clear explanation from ZenBusiness:
“The primary difference between business and domain names is that a business name is used for identification, branding and legal purposes, whereas a domain name is a digital website address.”
– ZenBusiness
So how do you know if a domain name is already taken?
You’ll need a hosting company (e.g., Bluehost, GoDaddy, SiteGround) to host (store) your site on the internet.
Hosting companies have a page on their website where you can determine if a particular domain name is available.
For example, Bluehost is the hosting company for Om Proofreading. Here’s a link to the page on Bluehost where you can see if a domain name is available.
Just type your potential domain name into the search bar, and you’ll see right away whether it’s already been taken.
Claim Your Name!
Finally, once you’ve chosen a good name for your business, you’ll want to make it yours!
Register Your Domain Name
When you buy the hosting for your website, you’ll be able to register your domain name. You need to pay an ongoing fee to maintain your domain name, but it’s not too expensive.
Some hosting companies, like Bluehost, allow you to register a new domain name for free for one year.
If you’d like help understanding terms like web hosting providers, domain names, and website builders, I briefly discuss these in my article about resources for building a proofreading website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a beginner proofreader charge?
Generally, a beginner proofreader should charge rates aligned with the recommendations of the editorial society in their country, typically starting toward the lower end of the suggested rate range.
Proofreaders in the US can get info about rates from the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA).
However, many proofreaders may still charge fees below the rate range put out by the EFA. You’ll want to keep this in mind when setting your prices so you can stay competitive.
How much should I charge for proofreading per 1,000 words?
A reasonable base rate to charge for proofreading 1,000 words is approximately $15, calculated at $0.015 per word. However, rates are based on various factors, including your level of experience, the genre and complexity of a text, and the expected turnaround time.
Since many variables need to be considered when setting rates, I wrote a comprehensive article on how to establish your proofreading prices. Feel free to check it out if you need help in this area.
How do I market myself as a proofreader?
You can market yourself as a proofreader by building a website, creating profiles on online marketplaces, mentioning your services on social media, cold emailing potential clients, getting listed on an editorial society’s directory, and networking with other proofreaders, writers, and editors.
Here’s a link to the post I mentioned about effective ways for proofreaders to get clients. If you’d like to learn more about marketing yourself, this article includes details of the marketing methods I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
I hope this article has helped you discover how to choose a good name for your proofreading business. I’m looking forward to your joining me on error patrol. I wish you every success with your new company!
Best wishes to you!
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
Recent Posts
Punctuation is important because it enables us to communicate our message clearly and effectively. Without punctuation, we wouldn’t understand how units of a sentence relate to one another or how...
Although you're probably somewhat familiar with adverbs, you may be unaware of sentence adverbs. As a trained proofreader who has studied the parts of speech, I can help you understand this unique...