# Help me name my freelance business. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853 "2007-08-16T20:53:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/41 "2007-08-21T18:21:30Z")
**The Cromulator** - _embiggening comprehensibility since 2007_ šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/42 "2007-08-21T18:30:17Z")
[QUOTE=Scarlett67] Youā€™ll forever be correcting the spelling [/QUOTE] Good point! Plus, I just figured out why it sounded odd to me: ā€œemendmentsā€ isnā€™t a word. The term is ā€œemendations.ā€ Stupid language that Iā€™m supposed to be a stupid expert in. šŸ˜‰ So now Iā€™m toying with ā€œExact Emendations,ā€ which perfectly conveys what I want it to but is a little clumsy ā€“ and the semi-alliteration might be a little too cutesy. [QUOTE=Colophon] **The Cromulator** - embiggening comprehensibility since 2007 [/QUOTE] LOL! šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/43 "2007-08-22T03:19:47Z")
Lucid Lit ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/44 "2007-08-22T03:30:18Z")
Lorem Ipsum ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/45 "2007-08-22T03:36:04Z")
Whatever name you eventually come up with, and maybe decide to create your own web site to promote yourself, _do not tell anyone of the name nor the name of the web site_ until you have registered the domain name. And when you do check out domain names, restrict your name searches to reputable domain search engines such as Godaddy or even Network Solutions. Why? There are quite a few domain search engines that retain your search queries and through algorithms, will automatically register your domain search names before you ever get the chance. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/46 "2007-08-22T03:44:04Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. PoopiePants] Lucid Lit [/QUOTE] Hmm ā€¦ to me, the ā€œLitā€ part implies writing services (vice editing services). [QUOTE=DanBlather] Lorem Ipsum [/QUOTE] You mean like I mentioned in post #15? šŸ™‚ [QUOTE=Duckster] Whatever name you eventually come up with, and maybe decide to create your own web site to promote yourself, do not tell anyone of the name nor the name of the web site until you have registered the domain name. [/QUOTE] Good advice, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/47 "2007-08-22T03:46:43Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] You mean like I mentioned in post #15? šŸ™‚ [/QUOTE] :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/48 "2007-09-10T19:47:16Z")
(Hopefully the mods wonā€™t consider this to be a zombie after just 3 weeksā€¦ :)) I have continued to ponder and think and consider, and I might just have a winner: **Techne Writing Services** ā€œTechneā€ is a Greek term used in rhetoric to mean ā€“ loosely ā€“ the art of applying knowledge (a more thorough definition can be found [here](http://www.reference.com/search?q=techne)). The word has nothing to do with technology, but I like the false cognate and have chosen it deliberately: both for what it means and for what others might think it means. I will be doing freelance editing work of all kinds, but will also offer freelance technical writing services to small IT companies/startups. In fact, the latter will probably be my focus at the start. What do you think? Too obscure/pedantic/misleading? Or is it ok for someone who doesnā€™t mind if some people donā€™t ā€œgetā€ the name right away? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/49 "2007-09-10T20:04:31Z")
A friend convinced me to offer my second-choice name up for consideration, too: **Blue Note Writing Services** [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_note) is the Wikipedia definition of ā€œblue note.ā€ It has little to do with writing or editing, but Iā€™m a musician and I just like the sound of it. I could stretch it if I want, and say that editorā€™s notes are often made in blue pencil ā€“ therefore, blue notes. _grin_ So, **Techne** or **Blue Note**? Or neither? šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/50 "2007-09-10T20:12:03Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] And for _Simpsons_ fans: **Can I Borrow a Meaning?** [/QUOTE] Nah. Compuglobalhypermeganet. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/51 "2007-09-10T21:45:36Z")
Is your name Ed, by any chance? If so, you can be called Ed Edited It, a sentence which I love because it seems like complete gobbledygook to any non-native speaker of English. The faster you say it, the better. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/52 "2007-09-10T21:56:56Z")
[QUOTE=bluethree] Is your name Ed, by any chance? [/QUOTE] Uh, no (see post #24). šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/53 "2007-09-10T22:36:17Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] I just did some brainstorming, and I _really_ like one of the ideas I came up with. Iā€™m interested in finding out whether yā€™all agree with me about my favorite. šŸ™‚ Hereā€™s the list:[ul][li]Letter Perfect[/li][li]LetterWorks[/li][li]First Emendment[/li][li]Wolfpack Writing Works[/li][li]Blue Pencil Services[/ul][/li]What do you think? [/QUOTE] How about **Letter Prefect** instead ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/54 "2007-09-10T23:26:22Z")
I like ā€œ **The Cursive Subversive** ā€, but unless youā€™re editing horror stories, novels, etcā€¦maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/55 "2007-09-10T23:30:43Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] The only thing Iā€™ve come up with so far is a potential tag line: ā€œSay what you mean.ā€ [/QUOTE] Hehā€¦ā€œ **SWYM Editing, Inc.** ā€ ā€œIf you canā€™t Swym, youā€™re gonna Sync.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/56 "2007-09-11T03:44:32Z")
When I first started looking into doing freelance work, I had trouble coming up with a name. One day, while thinking about my wifeā€™s tattoo, I got to **Red Clover Design** and really liked it. After a search, it appeared that there is already one of those places, and they donā€™t have much other than a domain name and a flash intro. Damn flashersā€¦ I like Blue Note. Iā€™d actually consider using it but I donā€™t want to take a Doperā€™s idea away from them until they are sure they donā€™t want it - so let me know if you donā€™t take it up, **Misnomer**. Iā€™m sick of going by ā€œSmall Designā€ - of course Small being replaced by my real last name - just as one to use while I get started. Brendon ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/57 "2007-09-11T15:12:06Z")
[QUOTE=labtrash] How about **Letter Prefect** instead [/QUOTE] 1. Itā€™s too cutesy, and 2) ā€œprefectā€ is actually a word. I donā€™t want my business name to imply that I think Iā€™m the boss of all the letters ā€¦ even though I am. šŸ˜ƒ [QUOTE=Yeticus Rex] **The Cursive Subversive** **SWYM Editing, Inc.** [/QUOTE] ā€œHehā€ to both. šŸ™‚ But youā€™re right about the first one, and the second one ā€¦ meh, I donā€™t like acronyms in business names. It works for IBM, but I ainā€™t IBM. _grin_ I hadnā€™t thought about trying to use ā€œsay what you meanā€ in the name, though. But it might not wind up being the actual tagline, because Iā€™ll want something that goes with the name. [QUOTE=brendon\_small] When I first started looking into doing freelance work, I had trouble coming up with a name. One day, while thinking about my wifeā€™s tattoo, I got to **Red Clover Design** and really liked it. After a search, it appeared that there is already one of those places, and they donā€™t have much other than a domain name and a flash intro. Damn flashersā€¦ [/QUOTE] Oh, that sucks! I agree that itā€™s a great name, though. > [@](#): > > I like Blue Note. Thanks! > [@](#): > > Iā€™d actually consider using it but I donā€™t want to take a Doperā€™s idea away from them until they are sure they donā€™t want it - so let me know if you donā€™t take it up, **Misnomer**. I will. šŸ™‚ Iā€™m truly torn between ā€œTechneā€ and ā€œBlue Noteā€: I like them both, for different reasons. Which is why Iā€™m asking for opinions. _grin_ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/58 "2007-09-11T19:01:00Z")
Techne strikes me as a bit obscure, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but you might get sick of spelling it for people. Blue Note I like, but people might think youā€™re a jazz club. šŸ˜‰ By the way, I have to mention a phrase that has stuck in my head ever since seeing it in the appendix of one of my motherā€™s old books: **Addendum & Corrigendum**. It always sounded like it should be the name of a slightly eccentric firm of solicitors, or perhaps more appropriately copy-editors! ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/59 "2007-09-12T18:55:58Z")
Not only have I settled on a business name (Blue Note Services), but just a little while ago I registered the domain name. šŸ™‚ I have the domain registered for 1 year: if I havenā€™t done anything with it by this time next year, Iā€™ll offer it to **brendon\_small**. _grin_ Thanks _so much_ to everyone who has contribued to this thread! ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853/60 "2007-09-12T20:19:35Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] Not only have I settled on a business name (Blue Note Services), but just a little while ago I registered the domain name. šŸ™‚ I have the domain registered for 1 year: if I havenā€™t done anything with it by this time next year, Iā€™ll offer it to **brendon\_small**. _grin_ Thanks _so much_ to everyone who has contribued to this thread! [/QUOTE] Hell, I may steal the other (Techne) - specifically because of the false cognate. Iā€™ve been doing tech stuff (webpages and such) as well as writing/editing (gotta use this English degree somewhere). Of course, that only happens with your blessing, **Misnomer**. Iā€™d agree to wait a year and see, but Iā€™ve got customers that have contacts and need to get a name out to them (business card and such) sometime soon. heh. Brendon Small [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-name-my-freelance-business/415853.md?page=4)