How Did You Choose Your Business Name

When people ask me “how did you choose your business name”, they

are always surprised that it did not take me tons of thought or research!  It was done quickly because I had to take advantage of an offer to help!

It still amazes me that the name of my business “Silkie Locks” was a spur of the moment

decision.  I was a slightly green hairstylist that decided to start out on my own.  I tried commission and hourly pay.  Both left me floundering on payday and I decided to venture out on my own. This required me to return downtown to work.  

The spot I found was for independent contractors so I had to register my business with

the city.  My friend’s husband kindly volunteered to accompany me to have this done that first day if I had a business name.  He advised me that we would have to do a name search at the city hall.  It was a sudden offer and one that I could not expect to get again.  I told him I would find one.  

At that time, hair magazines like “Hype Hair”, Sophisticate’s Black Hair Magazine were always

available in salons.  I grabbed one of them and started searching for a name.  On the section where they had illustrations for straightening hair, the tag said “..will help you have silky hair”.  That was it!  There were other hair salons with the first name “Silky” in the name search.  I exchanged the “y” with the “ie” and Silkie Locks Hair Design was born. 

The dictionary defines a “lock” as “a piece of  a person’s hair that coils or hangs together”.  This

was the year 2000, when I named my business.  Music moguls like “TLC, Nia Long, Destiny’s Child, Ashanti, Salt-N-Pepa etc. were some of the celebrities that influenced the hair game.  Dreads/locs were not done in the salons as a regular service.  The person/persons that had their hair locked were treated as “special” and tolerated for the most part.   Having “Locks” in my name was seen as weird and I had to defend my choice on quite a few occasions when asked “how did you choose your business name”.

Fast forward to 2009, Chris Rock’s movie “Good Hair” is a massive hit at the box office.  Black

women saw what made up most of their hair products and ran.  Then, Barrack Obama became president of the USA.  I distinctly remember one client who said he was cutting his hair as part of his image change.  He felt that such a rise meant he could also succeed in any career he trained in.  Black women stopped applying relaxers to their hair and embraced their natural hair.  I went from occasionally doing natural hair every few weeks to almost everyday.

Another area of the hair industry that suddenly started growing was dreads/locs.  It was the one

area that people had considered but were too scared to try.   Society was still judgemental but these were the Millenials.  They had parents who had grown their children to be true to themselves.  They chose to smash all the barriers their parents were subjected to.  The popularity of dreads/locs spiralled and suddenly the name of my business “Silkie Locks Hair Design”, featured online.  This was also the period that online searches became a thing with advancements in technology.  My significant other advisor said I should get a website and blogging became my advertising in 2013.

Today, when I am asked “how did you choose your business name?” I wish I could say I knew it would be a great name.  I was just lucky.  And I educated myself to stay relevant.  When you choose your business name, choose one that embodies your skill and purpose and people will call you lucky too.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, “Filling My Head” & “Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest.