Back on bl**ding branding & business names.....

[KatieMac]

Sod ...sod...sod....

Months ago I was pondering (on MN) about my business name...

The upshot (after loads of help and advise) was that I should stay Childminding@Walnut Corner....and not use anything too different for the Out-of-School Club.

So Walnut Corner Out-of-school Club was born....but now the Headmaster, 3 parents and a govenor have said that we should be XXX@Walnut Corner....but not what XXX should be......the only viable suggestion was Kids/Kidz @WC

I don't like the word KIDS never mind it being spelt wrong.

Help...do I just tell them to P* off?
Or can we come up with a good (fantastic) name??
TIA

Or has someone said that already. No idea, gave up wading through the thread (I have a very short attention span...)

Thanks Soupdragon......I'm not sure whats going on either

H2D - I don't know, I'm so confused I don't know whether I'm coming or going....but OFSTED likes me

OK so

I live at Walnut Corner
I run a business at Walnut Corner

I may call my business Walnut Corner
And use childminding@Walnut Corner & maybe somethingelse@Walnut Corner as contact email addresses on my embryo website

I may (or maynot) call Hub2dee so he can confuse me more

I was in the newspaper today

My mission statement might go something like this "We encourage a calm relaxed environment for our children. We emphasise the social aspect of meals and healthy eating. Both free play and structured play are part of our daily activities along with music, dancing and playing outside."

This list has no particular order or merit or meaning...it's just a list of unconnected (or connected) facts (or opinions)

What does dh think of the name thing ?

Of some (other) (strange) (unique) man's suggestion ?

FWIW, I am even more sure that you should stick with Walnut Corner (only) as a name. Anything else (to me) looks v. odd indeedy (well, all the xxx@wc stuff).

If you were flexible, you might want to communicate more about the business in the name: 'Little Walnuts' for example hints that you might work with kids....

HOWEVER, I have not run your business for 2 years and I DO NOT know anything about how well it is known (as cm@wc)...

This is your decision, I'm afraid.

There's nothing wrong with childminding@wc for an e-mail. However, I would still go with something typographically more elegant and shorter with more emotional appeal (like play / kids / fun / littlenuts etc.) OR stick to the mundane factual (info / contact / enquiries).

I'm having a very early night (headache) so you can't call plus you don't have my phone number (which is highly classified).

Does DH care?
Does DH even realise there was a discussion?
Does DH know that I'm talking to another person/man/? on the internet?

Look in MY house I make the decisions....whatever happens in yours

LOL...

I think I need to find that thread I just saw about MNer you least want to meet in an alley.

Anyway, I just bet you're boring him beyond belief with these name discussions you trouser-wearing-thing-you.

Hey ! Headache's kinda gone !

KM, please don't use WC as an abbreviation for your business It has...water closety connotations.

Hub, you are a wise man - again

Silly I was just being lazy

The business maybecome Walnut Corner rather than Childminding@Walnut Corner

'cos Hub2dee doesn't like it

See talking to me is health giving as well as being fun

I do however like

At Walnut Corner we try to encourage a calm relaxed environment for our children. We emphasise the social aspect of meals and healthy eating. Both free play and structured play are part of our daily activities along with music, dancing and playing outside.

& I think I'll use it

Katie, My one piece of advice for tonight, I'm beggin' ya, is spend the tenner and REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN NAME.

(even if you don't use it for your business, keep it as your 'personal' e-mail for you and dh etc. etc.)

The domain is still available. It would cost some arse £6 to really p*ss you off.

Do you know how to do this ?

Get mp to do this otherwise, but ASAP.

I think your text is an excellent starting point... but...

I would say 'calm COMMA relaxed' - perhaps other pedants could comment.

I would possibly say YOUR child instead of OUR children.

I would consider MEALTIME instead of meals, maybe re-working that phrase a smidgeon. Not 100% sure on this one, but it doesn't flow 100% IMHO.

Should 'free play' and / or 'structured play' be hyphenated ?

Might rework end to avoid repetition of 'playing' (free / structured)

I think 'dance', not 'dancing' if you have 'music' not 'playing / making music'

Tell me if you want me shut the eff up and perhaps to also disappear.

Perfect copy, IMHO can take an ABSOLUTE age to get right.

If you want opinions from copywriter types, there were a few sharp minds on charleepeters' soap thread

She was doing it today (I think)

night

Hope you're not upset by the input...

Night.

Me...upset....by something a mear man might say....Nah

Well, go on then... have you made a decision ?

What's the company name ?

What's the e-mail ?

Or is it time for me to shut up ?

How about the following, reworked the copy text you liked...

At Walnut Corner we encourage a calm relaxed environment for our children. We emphasise the social aspect of meals and promote healthy eating. Daily activities include free and structured play along with music, dancing and outdoor fun.

Agree with hub2dee, if you have settled on the name, then register the domain right now.
If you need commercial webspace plus domain reg, then I highly recommend 34sp who are cheap and reliable. I've used them for several years now.

Still thinking.....and the website name is on it's way....stop nagging

Prefer to nag now than mop up tears later.

"some bugger just took my domain name - what should I do ? They want £200 for it !!!!!"

It's mine.....I think well I've been invoiced

Thanks JoThorpe....I'm going to use that Ta KMc

Good. Just checked. Now it is showing unavailable. Well done.

Find a discount place, (say godaddy.com get the .com 'n all and have it point to your .co.uk and you will be a well-flash spring chicken.

trust you to complicate things....I can't do that....I don't know how..

I've sent you something to look at, if you have time?

When has 'don't know how' stopped the determined ?

E-mail the company which registered your domain name and explain your would like IP forwarding on a dot com domain your are considering to your .co.uk domain and they will know exactly how much it will cost and what to do.

The company you / morninpaper might use for hosting will ALSO know exactly what to do.

In any event, if you like the idea of it, register the dot com and deal with it when you are a bit more clued-up / sorted.

Will review your text and get back to you. It's no problem.