Hey guys! We are currently in the process of changing our business A LOT! This has been my mom's business for 15 years, and she and my dad have run it together for years. My mom has definitely established a name, and this is how people know her and find her.

Now we are adding more photographers and trying to expand. Diana Simpson and my hubby (keith) and I are the new additions. Diana is my sister. We hope to continue this business and make it bigger and better.

Do you think we should keep the name we have so that we don't potentially lose anyone who would know us as Liz Power Photography??

OR

What do you think of Power Studios.

Can you come up with something?

Thanks everyone. Y'all are always so helpful.

i like the idea of keeping "power" in the name. power studios doesn't strike me as photographic in nature. (perhaps more gym-like) maybe one of these?

power photography (just loose liz, lol)
power photographics
powerful image studios
powerful emotions photography

(i didn't check any of them to see if they were taken)

Honestly... your mom has some serious name recognition, EVERYBODY knows who she is and that's a wonderful and amazing thing. I'd leave the name alone or at leastr keep the full "Liz Power" in there. She probably has better name recognition than any photographer in this city - I definitely wouldn't jeapordize that.

I thought the same thing, haha. We actually have a gym here in town that is the Power house or something like that.




Thanks melody..i will have to show them this. i'm with you on this one. 4 out of 6 of us want it to change though, but maybe this will help.

Max Powers.... Simpsons anyone hehehe. Sorry had to add that.

Power Co. ?

I agree with melody, I dont even live there and I know who your mommy is !

so I would deffinetly keep her name in there

what about Liz Power Photographers? Liz Power & Associates?

based upon the business model your looking at you either need a person's name (i.e. Bumatay Studios) or a business name (I.E. XSiGHT Studios which is Jerry Ghionis in Australia) to run with this and based upon the name recognition factor i'd reccomend the first one

A good name with recognition is hard to earn and it would be a shame to change it!

Here's what I see you having in favor of keeping the name:

1. Recognition & reputation
2. Easy to spell, which is very important
3. The name is unique but not contrived à la "Powerful Image Creations Studios, Inc.")
4. The purpose of the business is listed in the name.
5. It doesn't sound cold and impersonal, like a franchise or generic studio name.

Good luck in your decision.

DISCLAIMER: I'm a lowly assistant, so don't take a lot of stock in my opinion. In fact, please berate me in public for speaking to guests (when not spoken to) and eating wedding cake...

THanks TimCo. You crack us up. We are leaning very strongly towards Power Co. Brilliant!


Ok...not really...but we really like the "& Associates". What do you (or anyone out there!) think of keeping our full name and just adding the "& Associates". We hate how long it is, BUT we want the name, we want it to still say what we do, but we also want people to know that there are more of us than just Liz.

Liz Power Photography & Associates

too much of a mouthful? too lawfirm-ish?

waayyy to lawfirm-ish in my opinion, even with photography in it! Just put photographers at the end instead of photography

I would actually do Liz Power & Associates, Photographers, or something along those lines, as opposed to just adding &Associates at the end...

I definitely vote for Liz Power Photographers. That way, you can emphasize the family history and importance that photography has played in both yours and your sister's upbringing. It would be a shame to take the name recognition and respect that your mother has built and turn it into a Power Studio.

Thats awesome! Good for you guys and what fun! I like everyone's suggestion with Photographers in the end. Even though I have joined Garrett for the business from a couple of years ago, we decided to keep his name due to name recognition and its sort of what we started with. We did design the logo with my initials in mind. Its very subtle,but theres a jn behind the gn...cheesy sounding, but it works!

I like (in order)

- Liz Power Photographers (can be Power Photographers later? as you make the change keep Liz Power?)

- Liz Power Studios (each studio can be a Power Studio by itself?)


If your mom has that much name recognition it's also possible that Power Photography by itself or Power Studios will be enough by itself to keep in mind who you mean. If you think keeping the Liz part of the business name is important, make it something you could convert later on to other studios.

This is also a good lesson for those who have something like Mike Colon photography - how the heck do you pass that down? I think Fred Marcus Photography being led by ANDY MARCUS is sort of weird. I'd prefer to know who I'm dealing with if it's someone's name.

You can always start another company with a different name, but you are the owner or something like that....

The brand called you has a great section on this.. I would recommend reading it

Liz Power & Company

Or

Liz & Company
Power Photography

NOT

Power & company - sounds like a utility company

OH - I just noticed that!! Not cheesy - very cool!! Wish I could figure out a way to incorporate Rammel or better yet Sticky..........

You could always do an entirely new name for your company and refer to your Mom underneath the title.

For instance:
"The Power Collective"
-A division of Liz Power Photography

You keep it like that for a year or so until your brand becomes synonymous (sp??) with your Mom's brand and then eventually drop the division portion. Much like a phasing in structure.

Just my two cents.

I don't know who your Mom is but I am sure she is an awesome woman!

Cheers!
trevor.

thanks! bought the book for $8...sweeet. hope it gets here quick!




thanks joy.
I think we are just having a hard time with that one b/c we are so used to it saying "photography" that "photographers" sounds weird.

i like it the best though but it kinda got shot down b/c they don't like the thought of saying "hi, this is becca with liz power photographers".

does anyone else think that sounds weird??

........still thinking about all this...
I also ahve another question on my end...

Should I keep my biz name - Diana Simpson Photography DBA Liz Power Photography. While I have only had my biz for 5+ years I do have a lot of clients and wonder if it would confuse them...

Since you guys have two businesses, you might consider a big marketing blitz to "join" the businesses and additional photographers. Make it super fun, have a new name, but basically keep putting out there that it's Liz Power Photography, and Diana Simpson Photography....I think you could make it work for you, and continue directing website, etc. from those two to your new name, if you pick one.

I hadn't really considered that there are two businesses, but the first thing I thought about was a grand announcement that the two businesses are merging, and providing all this good stuff to clients, etc.