Introduction
Starting your own homeschool is an exciting adventure. With that, it comes with the responsibility of giving your educational space and organization a name. This is not an insignificant task and can be more difficult than you initially think.
A name is the face and first impression of your homeschool, so it’s important to consider your goals and the overall mission of your organization when deciding on a name. In this article, you will learn all the tips and tricks to make the best decision before giving a name to your homeschool.
What Is Your Organizational Mission and Vision?
One of the very first steps to deciding on a name for your homeschool is to think about what you are trying to accomplish as an organization. Is it to educate a small group of students on a variety of topics?
Or is it to provide an alternative to traditional schooling? Knowing your overall mission and vision is an important step in helping narrow down your desired name. Once you have identified your goals and mission, you can start to brainstorm names that capture these points, making it easier to determine the perfect name.
Understand the Branding Requirements
When giving a name to your homeschool, it’s important to consider the brand you are trying to create. What do you want to be known for? What do you want to achieve with your end-users?
Who are your ideal consumers? Think about the overall aesthetics you want to project and how the name of your homeschool can achieve that.
If you are looking for a name that will capture your values and principles, consider finding a name that puts weight on what you stand for.
Research Your Potential Names
Once you have a short list of names that align with your mission and goals of your homeschool, it’s important to research each name. Researching allows you to identify the meanings, pithy slogans and images associated with each name, as well as their origin and how they can help in capturing your overall vision.
Research should also allow you to find any potential name conflicts among other organizations, so it’s important to remember.
What Are Your Available Resources?
When you’ve narrowed your list of potential name options, you need to make sure that your name is available for you to use. Consider the resources you have available and make sure that you have the ability to have a website, a logo, and social media accounts for your name. All of these items need to be taken into account when you are deciding on the final name for your homeschool.
Focus on What Matters Most
When selecting the name for your homeschool it’s important to remember why you started in the first place: to prioritize education. Although the name is a crucial component of your school, it is not the only important aspect to consider. This will help to keep you grounded during the process as you narrow down potential names that reflect your mission.
Get Professional Opinion
Another great way to make sure you choose the perfect name for your homeschool is to get a professional opinion. Ask colleagues, mentors and family members who believe in you and your mission to give you their honest perspective on your potential names.
This can be a great way to get feedback from people that are familiar with your vision and help narrow your final selection of names.
Choose a Name You Can Live With
When you’ve narrowed your list of names to one or two potential names, it’s important to make sure that it is one you can live with. This is your homeschool, and you will have to use it for a long time.
Choose a name that you believe to represent your mission and goals and reflects the type of organization you are trying to create.
Search for Naming Trademarks/ Laws/ Statutes
The last step before finalizing your its recommended to research the appropriate trademark and legal searches. Depending on the location, there could be rules and regulations in place to secure the name.
Ensure that the name you choose adheres to any existing regulations and laws, so there are no legal ramifications in the future.
Conclusion
Choosing the name for your homeschool is a huge milestone and an important step in your journey. Although daunting at first, following these guidelines and tips can help point you in the right direction. Remember to start with your organization’s mission and overall vision and narrow your potential names from there.
Get professional perspective and make sure everything is legally secured to ensure the success of your homeschool. Good luck and have fun!