Opinions on business name

[GlassButrFly]

I am working on my business plan, and would like to get some opinions on my potential business name - L'Chaim Therapeutics (or L'Chaim Therapeutic Bodywork, or some variation).

L'chaim (pronounced luh-khah-yim) –noun Hebrew
A toast used in drinking to a person's health or well-being. (commonly used at engagements, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, etc)
"L'chaim" is literally translated "to life."
(If you've ever seen Fiddler On The Roof, you probably recognize the phrase from one of the songs)

Potential tag lines are - "Helping you celebrate every stage of life," "Celebrating Life Through Touch," "Therapeutic Massage For Every Stage Of Life".

I plan to eventually create a practice that will encompass several different modalities, which would serve people of different ages and circumstances.

My concern is people having difficulty pronouncing and spelling it. My instructor and classmates do not seem to think this will be a problem, but I would like to get opinions from a wider set of people. I have found a few other (non-massage) health care related businesses in other states (mostly elder-care facilities) called L'Chaim, but they are all geared toward the Jewish population, who of course would not have any issues pronouncing or spelling the name.

Any opinions/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[pueppi]

First, CONGRATULATIONS on getting started in school!

Second, I do think it sounds a little complicated, but you know what (?)... there is nothing wrong with people learning something from a new language.

If it makes you feel good, that is what is most important. Your name will represent you and how you practice. If you have a name you love, it will resonate with those around you and bring in more of the type of clientele you want to see. I envision a group of people who are open minded, interesting, friendly and warm. People who don't like the idea of learning how to pronounce and spell the name may not be as warm and open... and, do you really want people like that? Probably not.

I can't wait to hear more about your experiences as you go through school.

[JLWmassage]

My concern with your potential name is the religious aspect to it. I do realize this is part of who you are some people may find offensive.

I think when it comes to business you need to try to be gender and religious neutral.

[athletica]

I agree the name it too difficult to pronounce. It will be difficult to identify your business. How are people suppose to refer clients when they can't even pronounce the name? With that said you can potentially use that as a marketing gimmick, but that might be too risky.

Your best tagline is "Therapeutic Massage For Every Stage Of Life". But again I would perhaps simplify it even more if your using it on signage.

For example not that my business should be used as a template for anything, I had a friend that does branding for a few major corporations help me with my branding:

Massage Athletica - from the name you can gather its a massage business, and it has something to do with athletics or something.

Tagline on signage - Sports Massage Therapy

Our tagline on marketing material - An active lifestyle starts with a balanced body

Take some of your cues from some of the franchises such as massage envy, hand & stone massage. They spend millions of dollars on market research!

[pueppi]

My concern with your potential name is the religious aspect to it. I do realize this is part of who you are some people may find offensive.

I think when it comes to business you need to try to be gender and religious neutral.

I must be missing something... are you suggesting that because it is a Hebrew name it is "religious"? Hebrew is a language, Judaism is a religion.

It will be difficult to identify your business.

I disagree. If she has "L'Chaim Therapeutics (or L'Chaim Therapeutic Bodywork, or some variation)", there is no way the business will be difficult to identify. It says exactly what they do, right in the name.

And, this is much easier than *my* business name, which many think belongs to a law office - by design not only to keep walk-ins at bay, but to make it so that the people who come to us are coming to us specifically because they have been referred or found us and know exactly what they want.

[katamay]

I have to admit, when I first saw the name, my first thought was, "How cool, I've never seen an explicitly Jewish massage business before!"

Most people will assume that you are a Jewish massage therapist catering pretty much exclusively to Jews.

If that's not the case, you may want to reconsider.

Kat

[athletica]

Pueppi -

Disagree! I would like to think I'm pretty smart guy. LOL And I have no clue how to pronounce L'Chaim. If I can't pronounce it, there is no way I'm going to be able to spell it! Let alone remember the name.

How on earth am I going to do an internet search for L'Chaim Massage? How am I going to refer friends when there is a massage clinic on every street corner.

Of course I'm overstating this, but I would bet any generic name (Kansas Therapeutic Bodywork) or some two syllable word that everyone can pronounce, but might not have significance (Dadi Therapeutic) would be more identifiable.

[pueppi]

Pueppi -

Disagree! I would like to think I'm pretty smart guy. LOL And I have no clue how to pronounce L'Chaim. If I can't pronounce it, there is no way I'm going to be able to spell it! Let alone remember the name.

How on earth am I going to do an internet search for L'Chaim Massage? How am I going to refer friends when there is a massage clinic on every street corner.

Well, I'd like to think that *if* you are a pretty smart guy *winks* (you said it first ), who goes to this particular facility for bodywork, you have at some point learned how to say and spell the name. And, that you would simply refer friends there by giving the name to them, writing it on a piece of paper and saying the name to them / or giving your friend a business card, and either providing the location or drawing a map.

No matter the name of a business, this is what I do when I refer people to a place. I don't just generically say "go get a massage downtown at Bob's place", unless they know who Bob is and where his place is located.


It is interesting seeing how this thread is progressing. I am interested, because I think it would be similar to having an office named Saúde Bodywork (Portugese first name). There is a Spa d'Sante in my town which is well known. But then, we're quite cosmopolitan, where something like this isn't a problem.

[JasonE]

I think the first order of concern is to consider who your target market is.

Massage Envy, for example, targets people who want the benefits of massage but who usually see it as above their price range. Thus, the name and the strategy of discounting/memberships.

Massage Athletica clearly targets athletes and/or those who want to be seen as being active and athletic.

Keep In Touch Massage is relatively generic, but friendly, implying that anyone could feel welcome there.


The name you choose for your business will have a significant impact on how well you reach your target market.

In a reasonably cosmopolitan area, businesses with non-English names will tend to attract people who know the language and/or know people who know the language. This could result in a substantial amount of business if marketed well. To those who don't know the language, it will just be another odd word.

In a small town, especially in a conservative/insular community, a foreign-sounding business name might have some real difficulty. Probably not so much if it's an auto parts store, but with something like massage... yeah, I'd expect a bit more difficulty.

Without a translation, I'd have NO IDEA what "l'chaim" means, and I'd probably pronounce it "la-chame" or "la-shame". I'd probably assume it's the last name of the person who owns the business. So, for me, the lovely sentiments intended would be completely lost. I'd probably end up going somewhere else, to a place/person who's marketing "spoke" to me in terms that I could relate to.

That said, I think the intent of the name is great, and that potential negative impacts could be managed with good marketing... provided your primary goal is to target those who can most easily relate to the name and your message.

[GlassButrFly]

Thank you all so much for your responses! I really appreciate your input.

First, CONGRATULATIONS on getting started in school!

Second, I do think it sounds a little complicated, but you know what (?)... there is nothing wrong with people learning something from a new language.

If it makes you feel good, that is what is most important. Your name will represent you and how you practice. If you have a name you love, it will resonate with those around you and bring in more of the type of clientele you want to see. I envision a group of people who are open minded, interesting, friendly and warm. People who don't like the idea of learning how to pronounce and spell the name may not be as warm and open... and, do you really want people like that? Probably not.

I can't wait to hear more about your experiences as you go through school.

Thanks! I'm in internship right now, and am enjoying it.

It does make me feel good... and I am hoping to eventually have a mostly referral based practice, in which case the name shouldn't be a problem. But I know I won't be able to depend on referrals right away, hence me trying to think through the pros and cons of this name.

I agree the name it too difficult to pronounce. It will be difficult to identify your business. How are people suppose to refer clients when they can't even pronounce the name? With that said you can potentially use that as a marketing gimmick, but that might be too risky.

Your best tagline is "Therapeutic Massage For Every Stage Of Life". But again I would perhaps simplify it even more if your using it on signage.

Pronunciation/Spelling difficulties was my main concern. I am confident that once a person became my client, they would have no problem learning to pronounce and spell it correctly (as Pueppi said), but I would hate for someone to visit my website and decide not to call to make an appointment because they didn't want to deal with feeling stupid for not knowing how to pronounce it. I was planning on including a pronunciation guide and definition on the website to help alleviate that discomfort.

My concern with your potential name is the religious aspect to it. I do realize this is part of who you are some people may find offensive.

I think when it comes to business you need to try to be gender and religious neutral.

I have to admit, when I first saw the name, my first thought was, "How cool, I've never seen an explicitly Jewish massage business before!"

Most people will assume that you are a Jewish massage therapist catering pretty much exclusively to Jews.

If that's not the case, you may want to reconsider.

Kat

Kat - Thanks for letting me know your first impression! That is very helpful.

JLWmassage - As Pueppi stated, it's not a "religious" phrase, although I completely understand what you are getting at. Some people might automatically assume a religious affiliation due to the close relation of the Hebrew language and the Jewish faith.

I wouldn't care if the name brought a lot of Jewish clientele, but that is not what I am setting out to do with this name. As I said in my opening post, the only time I have ever seen this phrase used as part of a business name, it has been for exclusively Jewish businesses. So definitely something to think some more about. I guess I was thinking that some people would know what the phrase is (a toast to good health) and there is nothing offensive about that, and everyone else would just think it was a word they had never heard before (which I think is a relatively common occurrence in the health/beauty industry?).

That said, I think the intent of the name is great.

That is very encouraging, thank you! Really, the intent of the name is king here, not necessarily the Hebrew language or the word itself.

I think the first order of concern is to consider who your target market is.

The name you choose for your business will have a significant impact on how well you reach your target market.

I'm at that stage where I want to learn everything, which leads to a potentially extremely wide target market. What attracted me to massage was that there would always be something more to learn. So I guess I am trying to come up with a name that will allow for a wide range of modalities and clients (not athletic/medical/spa specific). L'Chaim was really more of a statement about me and my personality.



I'm very partial to words and phrases in other languages, and have been planning on decorating using various phrases and sayings... "L'Chaim!" / "To Life!", "C'est La Vie" / "It is Life", "Carpe Diem" / "Seize the Day", "La vita e bella" / "Life is Beautiful", "Live - Laugh - Love" in various languages, etc. One of my favorite sayings is: "Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it." I'm going to collect a lot of these and print and frame them creatively and hang them in various places around my massage space. I'm definitely leaning toward a "literary" feel... bookshelves & books in the office and "definitions" of terms on my website, much like I did for L'chaim in my opening post. Let me know if that it totally weird and not advisable. lol


I am completely open to suggestions of names that give a similar message. For reference - I am in a pretty cosmopolitan area, and many of the spas around here have somewhat exotic sounding names.

[pueppi]

If it helps any, I would not have known it was a Hebrew name, if you hadn't told us.

Such a warm response. I know you will go far!

[JLWmassage]

http://www.7elephantsmassage.com/

I just can across this site. And I thought that 7 Elephants Massage is a great name and is certainly going to get people talking!

I also use to work at a spa call Fulgere - Latin for to shine and most people couldn't pronounce correctly and it drove me nuts and I was only employee . If I was the owner it would drive me crazy that people couldn't say my business name right, just some food for thought

[akashafive]

Just adding my At first glance I thought you had a French name for your future practice, and that's with me being a huge Fiddler On The Roof fan , but I really like it!!! It's true that it will fall more on you to do enough marketing to get clients but if you really love the name, then it is worth it.

My practice name is Akashic Bodywork. I took it from the Sanskrit word "akasha" referring to the fifth element (spirit/love/ether, etc.) because of a discovery I had made years before that my first name, when written in runic, used the 4 runes for the 4 elements. I fell in love with the idea of using akasha in my business name as it has that special connection for me. Just about everybody I meet asks me how it's pronounced and what it means, but that doesn't bug me at all. In fact, I use it as a conversation starter. I feel it represents who I am and what I do.

Looking back, had I known more of how the business name can affect marketing, I may have considered more "normal" names, but then again I have never been one for going the "normal" route and much prefer to do things my own way.

I think you have a great name and should go with it! I hope you'll keep us updated with your progress, too.

[shivashiva]

I recently read an article about how a person's name affects how well they are liked during the "first impression." It's not a scientific article or anything:

http://lifehacker.com/5899730/will-a-ni ... -you-ahead

But I feel this is significant.

However, if you are primarily going to be getting your business through referrals and are going to be a single practitioner practice, I think you should probably just go with your gut.

On the other hand, if you plan on expanding, having a wider audience, having employees or sub-contractors, or being a larger more visible part of the community, I would look towards a name that is easier to say, understand, and remember.

I look at my own practice: when I was a single practitioner, it didn't really matter what the name of my business was. People generally called me directly and used my name. Now that I have a clinic/spa I have street signage, phone book ads, guest directory ads in hotels, radio ads, website, etc etc where the pronounceability and visibility of my business name is VERY important.

[GlassButrFly]

Thanks for the recent responses!


I did some more googling, this time using L'Chaim as a search term in Google Maps. I found a few more businesses called L'Chaim... two kosher wine companies, one kosher vodka company, a kosher Steak & Sushi restaurant.

I also found a "L'Chaim Canine" (dog training service in Akron Ohio) and a "L'Chaim Doula Services" in Woodstock, Ontario.
I sent each of them a facebook message, explaining my situation & asking the following questions: 1. Do customers have a hard time spelling or pronouncing your business name? 2. Have you had any marketing difficulties related to the name? 3. What is the most common response you've had to the name?

Below are their responses -
L'Chaim Canine:

Hi Vanessa, I did not see any other businesses with L'Chaim when I started mine. I was told all the same things too. What I did find out is that it can be hard to spell, that unless someone has some understaning of anything Jewish they think it is french, those that understand it is Hebrew think it is fabulous, and for those that don't it is a great conversation starter (if you were on my site then you know [my dog] Chai's story), BUT most importantly, it stands out! People remember it as the training business with the unusual name. I have no regrets using it! If you have any other questions do not hesitate to contact me.

L'Chaim Doula Services:

Congrats on your business!

I chose the name because I have a Jewish heritage and I thought the meaning was fitting. My husband didn't like it...but I felt it just "clicked" and that it was meant to be.
I have had a few people say "L'CH-AIM" with a hard CH sound...and I just let them know how it's pronounced. I will often ask if they have ever seen "Fiddler On the Roof" - and those who have will suddenly recall that they have heard the word before.

I made a point in include the word's meaning right in my logo graphic, which I designed. That way it may jog some memories and remind people what it means. And when I 1st started out with my facebook page, I made some postings explaining the word and how it is pronounced.

I work from home and so when I make contact with people, it is always by my personal name, not my company name...so I am not using it very much in conversation and my clients just know me as Emily. [:D]
It is a really pretty name and so much can be done with it from a design prospective. You could always write something about the word on business pamphlets, including pronunciation and meaning.

When my husband and I got married, we made a Chuppa (Canopy). We included a note about its meaning on our wedding program, and its pronunciation. Those who are not familiar with Hebrew or Yiddish words - like to pronounce the "CH" rather than the "H". It just takes some education!

I hope that helps! All the best in your eduction and business ventures!

I also put a question out to my contacts on facebook, asking for first impressions of the name, how they thought it was pronounced, etc. with no explanation of what the word L'Chaim, the language, or the pronunciation. These are the responses I have gotten so far:

I like the first option of L'Chaim Therapeutics although I think there would be some confusion/disinterest because of the difficulty in pronouncing the name. Maybe it's just me, but I usually go with the place I know I can pronounce first. Of course, if your prices are cheaper than others, I'll go to you no matter what the name! (And if you're clean lol)

Well you already know what my thought are!

(I had spoken to this person before - she liked the name, and thought that if I was "connected" enough to it, it would be fine.)

I like l'chaim, but i wouldn't assume l'chaim therapeutics was massage therapy if i saw it in an ad.

(This is something else I've thought about - the rest of the name isn't really self-explanatory. I didn't want to necessarily limit my name to massage, but I may have to include it in the name to clarify the main service I'll be offering. )

I like L'Chaim Therapeutics, but I also know what L'Chaim means and how to pronounce it so that probably affects my opinion. The Bodywork option reminds me of Bath and Body Works or getting body work done on a vehicle.

So, I'll be thinking some more over their responses as well.

[pueppi]

I have a friend who uses "Healthworks" in her name. Maybe that would be an option.

[EgoMagickian]

Congrats on talking to other business owners and getting their perspectives... way more valuable than endless speculation :-)

My first take, with a background in web development, is that the "rule of thumb" is always to pick something that has an easy to remember, easy to spell URL... L'Chaim in an url, e.g. lchaimmassage.com, is clunky and will probably be difficult for people. That's a guess... only one way to find out.

The good news is, it will be easy enough to change your business name if it doesn't work out.

[tranquilspirit2006]

My personal feeling - I LOVE it. And my own feeling about naming your business is, go with what feels right to YOU. I think what makes or breaks your business will be you, your massage, your service, your marketing etc. I know a woman who didn't go with what she really wanted to name her massage business but instead went with a name that started with 'A' so she could be first in the Yellow Pages. Fifteen years later, she is still feeling some regret over not using that name, it just felt 'right' to her. And fewer and fewer people use the YP now to find her since most people use the net so the alphabetical issue is more and more becoming a non-issue.

You could also on your website and perhaps the front of your brochure, on the front desk, etc, have a little blurb 'L'Chaim!' (pronounced ---) means etc etc and that's what we are here to do - celebrate your health and life!' (something like that, I'm sure you can word it better!) or on your 'About Us' area on your website, explain how you chose L'Chaim and how it relates to your business. And when people call, they will hear you say it when you answer the phone and will know. Honestly, the few places around here that have generic massage names are the ones that people say "You know, that one place down on Maple St.' The ones that people know by name are the more unusual ones. If it feels right for you, go for it!

[JasonE]

How about an explanatory confabulation?

L'Chaim Therapeutics - "To Life!" Massage and Bodywork

At this moment, "www.ToLifeMassage.com" and "www.lchaimmassage.com" are still available as domain names. I would get both of them. Have both of them point to one web site. Site analytics will show you which domain name people remember and use to look you up. You can decide later whether to keep both or drop one.

I think your business will be better known as "To Life! Massage", but it would be cool to always answer the phone, "L'chaim! How can we help you with massage today?"

Again, the beautiful intent of the name offers many interesting ways to market your practice.

[GlassButrFly]

How about an explanatory confabulation?

L'Chaim Therapeutics - "To Life!" Massage and Bodywork

At this moment, "www.ToLifeMassage.com" and "www.lchaimmassage.com" are still available as domain names. I would get both of them. Have both of them point to one web site. Site analytics will show you which domain name people remember and use to look you up. You can decide later whether to keep both or drop one.

I think your business will be better known as "To Life! Massage", but it would be cool to always answer the phone, "L'chaim! How can we help you with massage today?"

Again, the beautiful intent of the name offers many interesting ways to market your practice.

What a wonderful solution! I will definitely get both domain names. Love the idea for answering the phone too.

Ok, so my plan is to go ahead with L'Chaim. Still haven't settled on the rest of the name (Therapeutics vs. something else). I will include the pronunciation and translation on all marketing materials, and include the translation in the logo as well. I'll have to come up with some interesting wording for the background of the term and why I chose it, but I really do think the name will be great as a conversation starter, and help launch my "elevator speech" to potential clients.

Thanks everyone for all the help and encouragement and ideas. I really appreciate it!

[truepeacenik]

I know I'm late to the game here, but I wonder why l'chaim is an issue when Prana, Bhakti, Zen (which IS a worldview), have none.

Is it because non Hindu or Buddhist Westerners can make money off the thoughts evoked by those words?
Because the stereotypes are different?
(can you buy a massage wholesale? as my cousin put it)

I actually considered L'chaim myself, as I am Jewish and this is for life, but felt I was "tribing" my language too much.
I can't imagine the local conservative, covered Muslim women would be drawn to my business. And I aim part of my work to modest populations, and run specials based on a variety of spiritual and cultural celebrations.

[katamay]

I actually considered L'chaim myself, as I am Jewish and this is for life, but felt I was "tribing" my language too much.
I can't imagine the local conservative, covered Muslim women would be drawn to my business. And I aim part of my work to modest populations, and run specials based on a variety of spiritual and cultural celebrations.

That's pretty fabulous! I know a local MT who does a lot of work with Mennonite women, and they feel very comfortable in that space.

I don't think I'd ever put my religion (or anybody else's, eastern or western) on a business name. Given, I don't need a name to ensure that the local Baha'is will come to me when they need a massage. I know them all personally! It's all about who you're trying to attract, and the message you'd like to send.

Kat

[jeffreyruney]

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To deal a large number of business card, I use CardFila.com on iPhone because it is so easy to collect, find and use any contact at any time.
i can access the contacts everywhere without Internet connection for Mobile (iPhone or Android phones) and computer, laptop as well. You can try it. Glad to share my experience