Ready to get your health coaching business started but stuck on what to name your business?

If you feel like you’re struggling with your business name, don’t feel bad — you aren’t alone!

I get asked a lot of questions on how to start a business. Everything from how to create an avatar to how to choose if you should be a solo business or start an LLC. But by far, one of the top questions I get about starting a health coaching business is,

“Should I use my name for my business or an actual business name? Which is better?”

And that is an excellent question!

Deciding on your business name can be tough! After all, it’s part of what will attract your future clientele. It’s their first impression of you, and it’s what you want to be synonymous with your brand, message, and values.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people get stuck on what to name their business.

And I’m not just saying stuck on the name itself…but stuck on making progress with their entire business.

Everything just grinds to a halt because Health Coaches get so hung up on everything revolving around picking out the perfect business name.

If that’s you right now, if you’re feeling confused or unsure about what to name your health coaching business, it’s time to stop stressing out because I can help!

Plus, I’m going to make this process super easy for you too! Ready for it?

Your business name should be your name.

Read on to find out why!

YOUR GUIDE TO NAMING YOUR HEALTH COACHING BUSINESS

1. USING YOUR NAME IS PERSONAL.

In fact, it’s about as personal as you can get!

When people are looking for a Health Coach, they are looking to do business with a person- not with a brand or a company.

People needing that connection with you aren’t even really looking to do “business”.

Your potential clients are looking for a Health Coach that they can build a strong, personal relationship with — a relationship that is made up of trust and empathy.

And the best way you can help communicate that you’re willing to build that relationship is by putting your name out there, rather than introducing yourself with a catchy business name.

With your personal name, you are the face of your business. You and your face are the first things that pop into people’s heads when they hear your business name.

It becomes synonymous with someone who cares for them, listens to them, gets them on the right track, and encourages them.

Plus, if you have a more unique name, it’s going to be really easy to find you on Google!

PRO TIP:

Do you have a really common name, like Joe Smith? That’s okay!

You can still run your business under your name. You just might have to get a little bit creative with it.

Use your middle name or middle initial with your first and last name, or just your first and middle name. If all those domain names are still taken, go with a creative name for your URL.

And then on your website, use your name as the first name a potential client sees when they land on your page. That way you’re still connecting to them on that personal level!

2. USING YOUR NAME GIVES YOU LOTS OF OPTIONS.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people start with a business name that is extremely specific and then later feel like they’ve boxed themselves into their own business name.

For example, a client named her business Female Weight Loss Health Coaching by Sarah.

As Sarah grew as a coach, she realized she was helping clients with so much more than weight loss. She was coaching people struggling with hormone imbalances, autoimmune disease, and emotional trauma.

Naturally, Sarah wanted to start working with more clients who she could help with those same issues.

But with her weight loss business name, she had a hard time getting her message out and finding new clients. People who are dealing with an autoimmune disease just weren’t searching for someone with a business name that talked about weight loss health coaching!

To help future clients find her more easily, Sarah ended up having to go through the hassle of changing her business name.

Like Sarah, as you grow as a Health Coach and as a business owner, you’re going to change. That doesn’t mean you won’t be a Health Coach 10 years down the road.

What it does mean is that you will grow as a coach. You’re going to be digging down and learning beyond what you knew when you first started.

And, like Sarah, you’ll realize that you can offer so much more to your current (and future) clients.

The last thing you want when that happens is for your business name, of all things, to be holding you back.

Plus, you don’t want to have to worry about changing your business name on your tax documents, business cards, etc.

When you go with your name, you get so much more flexibility to grow down the road! Even if you stay focused where you’re at, you’re good to go right from the start!

LEARN FROM OTHER HEALTH COACHING GIANTS

Curious how other giants in the health coaching industry have named their business? Many started with clever business names, and then as they grew, they transitioned over to their name!

Think about Sean Croxton, Kris Carr, and Danielle LaPorte.

Sean’s business was named Underground Wellness before he changed his business over to his name. Kris Carr was formerly Crazy Sexy Cancer. And Danielle LaPorte was White Hot Truth.

You’re going to be in some pretty good company (and getting off to an awesome head start) by going with your name for your business!

BUILDING YOUR BRANDS UNDER YOUR BUSINESS NAME

Naming your business after yourself isn’t the only name you have to use for your business. You can create brands under your name and have different names for those brands.

You’re starting a health coaching business right now. But someday down the road, you might start adding more to your business, like selling your own supplements, workout plans, or even fitness videos!

Obviously, creating workout videos isn’t quite the same as health coaching, but it is still a part of your business. So, your workout videos would be a separate brand (or section) of your
business that just falls under your main business name.

That way you’re still keeping your name — the name you’ve built up that warm, personal connection with — while dividing up the different parts of your business.

JJ VIRGIN

Take JJ Virgin as an example. She’s a four-time NYT bestseller, world-renowned nutritionist, online course writer, and has even created her own supplements. She’s a pretty big deal and very highly respected!

She named her entire business after herself, JJ Virgin. Her name ties together everything she does, from her online programs to her supplements.

While JJ’s online programs and her supplements stand on their own as different parts of her business, they all fall under her name.

So whenever anyone sees JJ Virgin’s name on one of her programs or supplements, they instantly can associate that product with JJ and the trust and influence she has built surrounding her name.

PRO TIP:

We’re thinking way ahead here, but let’s say you decide you want to sell part of your business someday! You may have enjoyed making workout videos for a while and been successful at it, but now you’re ready to move on.

Because you’ve branded your workout videos under your primary business name, rather than naming your entire business after your videos, you can sell your workout video brand without having to worry about your full business name getting sold as well.

BE SPECIFIC WITH YOUR TAGLINE AND MISSION STATEMENT

Since your business name is your name, you need to be specific with your tagline and your mission statement.

That way, everyone who comes to your website knows precisely what your business can do for them and why.

Now, a tagline is just a quick, to-the-point summary about what it is your business does. For example, Cynthia Garcia’s tagline is “Let’s Discover What You’re Really Hungry For.”

Your mission statement digs even deeper than your tagline. It helps to more fully flesh out your tagline but still sums it up nicely.

For example, the Cynthia Garcia mission statement is, “Our mission is to give 100 million women the tools to create a deeply meaningful life and the courage to use them — no matter where they’ve been or what they’ve been through.”

See how with just that tagline and mission statement, you can already see who Cynthia Garcia is and what she stands for?

PRO TIP:

Changing your business name after you’ve already established your business can be a big hassle. It’s almost like having to start at square again trying to build up the trust you want to be connected to your name.

However, your tagline and mission statement can change and grow as your business expands. You can always change your tagline later if you decide to add more services to your business.

IN CONCLUSION

To wrap this up, let’s just retouch on what we covered. If you’re feeling stuck on what to name your health coaching business, the best choice is to go with your name.

It makes your business feel personal, and you have the freedom to expand your health coaching as you grow your business.

If you want more help with choosing your business name or even writing your tagline and mission statement, be sure to check out our in-depth lessons on business building inside the Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach (CTNC) program.

We don’t just teach you how to be a transformational coach here at ITN. We give you the tools you need to get your business started (and successfully growing) too!

Tell us in the comments if you plan to use your name! We can’t wait to hear your brilliant ideas!