If you’re struggling to name your canoe and kayak rental business, don’t worry. You’re in the right place. In this article, I cover some of the top tips for naming your new business as well as how to make sure the name is legally available for you to use.
Let’s get started!
Related: Kayak Rental Industry Overview
Tips For Naming Your Canoe and Kayak Rental Business
Naming a business is hard, especially if you don’t have any ideas or a place to start. So, before diving in, grab a piece of paper and a pen or open a blank spreadsheet.
Then, use it as a place to brainstorm ideas and write down words or phrases that come to mind as you go through the tips below.
From there, we’ll talk about narrowing things down and landing on the perfect name.
1. Keep It as Short as Possible
Short business names are usually snappier, catchier, and easier to remember. Ideally, you want to stick to two to five syllables and hopefully no more than 25 characters total.
However, the shorter the name, the better.
That said, there are exceptions to this, and it’s not a hard rule. But when you think about huge, notable brands, which ones come to mind?
Nike. Apple. Ikea. Febreeze. Target. Honeywell.
They’re easy to remember because they’re short, simple, and brandable.
Obviously, there are exceptions to these rules. But typically, the shorter and simpler your name, the easier it is for everyone to remember.
2. Avoid Words That Are Hard to Hear and Pronounce
Voice to text and voice search is more popular now than ever before. So, it’s important to consider making your name easy to pronounce and hear.
To do this, avoid using:
- Commonly misspelled words
- Complex terms that are hard to spell
- Words that have several pronunciations
- Homophones like to, too, and two
Try to keep things as concise and simple as possible.
3. Consider Water-Related Terms
Since you’re opening a kayak rental business, using water or outdoors-related terms in the name might make sense. It may help to start brainstorming terms, phrases, and words to get all your ideas down on paper.
A few examples of this could include; Adventure Water Sports, Mountain Paddlers, River & Adventure Toys, or Up A Creek Kayak Rental.
For a boost of creativity, expand use the thesaurus to find synonyms around the words of what your business does. You can use the thesaurus function from your word processor or thesaurus.com to develop additional synonyms.
From there, you can cross off bad ideas or any terms you don’t like.
4. Phrases Your Audience and Competition Uses
Your business exists for your target audience, so it’s important to consider phrases and terms they use when talking about kayaking.
There are quite a few places you can look to see what your customers (and competitors) are saying, including:
- Facebook groups, posts, and stories
- Forums related to kayaking
- Competitor websites, brochures, and flyers
- Magazines or blogs
Alternatively, you can ask friends or relatives in your target audience. Hearing it directly from them may help you brainstorm and narrow down your choices.
Remember to avoid anything limiting your business’s future growth if you decide to go in another direction down the road.
5. Area-Related Names
Including the name of your city, street, or neighborhood is an excellent way to encourage local shopping and create a strong sense of community in your area.
You can also think about nicknames for your city or neighborhood, as well. Here are some examples to use as inspiration:
- Beach Rentals of St. Augustine
- Gulf Coast Kayaks
- Kayaking in Florida
- Whitewater of Georgia
With that said, make sure the name you choose isn’t limiting if you decide to move or expand your kayak rental business down the road.
6. Incorporate Your Name
If you’re still struggling to find the perfect name, consider using your name, a nickname, or something personal and unique to you.
This is a fantastic way to build a personal brand if that’s something you want to do. Some great examples of this in action include:
- Bobby’s Kayak
- Carver’s Kayak Rentals
- Kayak Zac’s
- Bills Kayaks
If you go this route, keep in mind it may make it harder to sell your kayak rental business later on.
List of Catchy Canoe & kayak rental Business Names
Here is a list of existing kayak rental business names that may help you come up with some creative ideas. While many of these names may be available for you to use, be sure to check first to be sure the name can be used.
- 4 Corners Whitewater
- A Kayak Shack
- About Kayaks
- Above Board Paddle Co
- Action Water Sports
- Adventure Center
- Adventure Kayak Of Cocoa Beach
- Adventure Kayak Outfitters
- Adventure Mountain Sports
- Adventure Water Sports
- Adventures By The Sea
- Adventures Kayaking
- All Wet Sports
- Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures
- Aloha Kayak Co
- American Outdoors
- Balboa Kayaks
- Bay Side Adventures
- Bayfront Beach & Bike
- Beach Rentals Of St Augustine
- Beach River Kayak Rentals
- Bear Traditional Kayaks
- Big Fish Kayaks & Water Sports
- Blackwater Canoe Rental
- Blue Planet Kayak
- Blue Sky Adventures
- Blue Waters Kayaking
- Boat Locker
- Bobby’s Kayak
- Bodega Bay Kayak
- Boredom Killer Kayaks
- Brew City Kayak
- California Canoe & Kayak
- Carver’s Kayak Rentals
- Central Coast Kayaks
- Central Florida Kayak
- Cheap Rentals Mission Beach
- Coastal Kayak & Sailing
- Coastal Paddleboarding
- Coastal Watersports
- Crystal River Kayak Co
- Descanso Beach Ocean Sports
- Desert River Kayak
- Dolphin Kayak Center
- Earth Adventures Unlimited
- Eco Paddlesportz
- Econfina Creek Canoe Livery
- Egin Lake Adventures
- Enjoy Napa Valley
- Fast Lane Sailing & Kayak Center
- Fin Factory Kayak & Tackle
- Florida Bay Outfitters
- Florida Keys Kayak & Ski
- Fluid Fun Canoe & Kayak Sales
- Four Corners Riversports
- Get Outside
- Go Bananas Watersports
- Go Kayak
- Gulf Coast Kayaks & Paddle Boards
- Hawaiian Paddle Sports
- Hometown River Co
- House Of Kayaks
- Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center
- Hunter Springs Kayaks & Tours
- Idaho River Sports
- Indian River Marina & Kayak
- Island Outfitters
- Island Style Watersports
- Kayak Chicago
- Kayak Fish & Supply
- Kayak Hub
- Kayak Power
- Kayak Shack
- Kayak St Augustine
- Kayak Zak’s
- Kayaking In Florida
- Kayaks By Bo
- Keys Kayak
- King Kayak Hawaii
- LA Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks
- Lake Almanor Kayak Rentals
- Lazy Dog Adventures
- Lightning Kayaks
- Liquid Fusion Kayaking
- Liquid Surf & Sail Miami
- Lisa’s Kayaks
- Malibu Kayaks Of Florida
- Maxx Rentals
- Mountain Paddlers
- Mr. Bill’s Kayaks
- Naples Kayak Co
- Ocean Paddlesports
- Oceanside Dive & Kayak
- Outside World
- Ozark Kayak
- Pack Rat Outdoor Center
- Paddle Away Kayaks & Paddle
- Paddle Hut
- Pure Water Sports
- Rent That Kayak
- River & Adventure Toys
- River Valley Kayaks
- Riversport Kayaks
- Sail & Kayak Shop
- South Pacific Kayaks
- Southwind Kayak Center
- Sunjammers Watersports
- Sunrise Mountain Sports
- Surf & Ski Watersports
- Sweetwater Kayaks
- Tahoe Adventure Co
- Up A Creek Kayak Rental
- Up North Kayak Rentals
- Urban Kayaks
- Venture Quest Kayaking
- Vibe Kayaks
- Viking Kayak
- Watertreks
- West Coast Paddle Board Rentals
- Whitewater Of Georgia
- Wildcat Canoe & Kayak Too
- Wilderness Way
- Yosemite Bicycle & Sport
Is Your Canoe & Kayak Rental Name Available to Use?
At this point, you should have several top considerations to choose from. And the best way to narrow it down further is to check each one for availability.
This step is vital because using a name that someone else is using could be very costly, time-consuming to rebrand your business, and possibly embarrassing. There are several places to look to check whether a name is available to use, so let’s walk through each one.
Can the business name be registered in your state?
If you plan to use a specific business name, you may be required by the state to verify it’s available to use.
Related: How to check business name availability in your state
Is your name already trademarked?
When searching for a name for your new business, you should check that your new name isn’t trademarked by someone else. If it is, you may not be allowed to use it legally.
Thankfully, the United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) makes trademark searching a breeze through their Trademark Database.
A name isn’t necessarily available if it doesn’t appear in this search. Every business has some limited protection through a common law trademark. This means another business can’t open up down the street with the same name, as this creates confusion for customers. Also, be sure to check local competitors by doing a Google search and looking through the Yellow Pages.
If your name is available and you want to protect it from being used by anyone else, you can register it with the USPTO.
Related: How to check for a trademark
Finding the Perfect Name: Putting It All Together
By now, you should have a lengthy list of words, phrases, and terms you can use in your business name. At this point, I highly recommend going through and removing any that are hard to spell or pronounce.
Now, you can start combining pieces together until something stands out. It may help to create a list of potential names you can use. From there, you can narrow things down to your favorites.
But before you make your final decision, it’s important that your new name passes a few tests.
Say It Out Loud
Make sure you say your new name out loud. It may look great as a logo, domain name, and on a business card. But it also needs to sound good when you say it out loud.
You can also sit down with someone and talk about your business. Does saying the name in casual conversation sound natural? If not, you may want to consider something simpler or easier to say.
Logo Design
Lastly, think about how to incorporate your new name into a logo. Logos should be simple, memorable, and indicative of your brand.
Take Apple, for example. Their business name is easily incorporated into a logo. And today, it’s a household symbol that everyone immediately recognizes.
A logo is an important part of your brand identity, so don’t forget to consider turning your name into a memorable logo as you make your final decision.
Related: How to create a logo for your business.
Hopefully, you now have some ideas to name your kayak rental business. Once you have narrowed this list to just a few and researched that they are all available, start asking friends, family, and potential customers their thoughts to get feedback, and then pick your perfect kayak rental business name!
