<HTML>In a message dated 6/21/02 2:44:49 PM Central Daylight Time, piano@charlesneuman.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">If you are self-employed and don't have partners in your business, which do you think is more effective for your company name: your own name, or a business-y name such as "Superb Piano Works" or "Piano-Toon"? I have heard people in the past claim that your own name sounds more personal. On the other hand, maybe customers prefer something with more distance, which might be more "official" in their eyes. I don't know. I notice that a lot of businesses have really boring-sounding names such as "American [whatever]", or "Mid-Island [whatever]". And putting the town name in the company name seems to be popular. Charles Neuman </BLOCKQUOTE> What seems to be the more acceptable way in your area? If the other tuners in town are "NAME Piano Service," then perhaps to "compete" with them, you should do the do the same thing. If there are several other "business" names, find one you can be comfortable with. The bottom line is name recognition. If you are establishing your business, and your name is out in front, more people will recognize it than a company name. When a customer recommends you to a friend, and says, "Charles Neuman tune my piano," but your company name is "PIANO FORTE PIANO WORKS," they might pass you by. Wim </HTML>