# Renaming after 21 years.



## scentseeker (Feb 4, 2022)

Like all of you, I make luscious soaps.  I also make an extensive line of butters, lotions, oils and facial skincare.  My business name no longer reflects my expertise or offerings.  Any tips on renaming would be welcomed and appreciated.  Thanks in advance.


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## lianasouza (Feb 4, 2022)

Would you mind sharing your current business name? Perhaps you can save it with some rebranding and keep your custumer base.

But I know nothing about running a business, so my perspective is... useless!


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## AliOop (Feb 4, 2022)

There are some good resources on YouTube and the interwebs about how to come up with a name for your business. Most of them involve some variation of identifying the core values of the business, as well as your target clients.


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## scentseeker (Feb 4, 2022)

lianasouza said:


> Would you mind sharing your current business name? Perhaps you can save it with some rebranding and keep your custumer base.
> 
> But I know nothing about running a business, so my perspective is... useless!


Mimi's Soaps and I don't reflect a "grandma" persona


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## TheGecko (Feb 4, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Like all of you, I make luscious soaps.  I also make an extensive line of butters, lotions, oils and facial skincare.  My business name no longer reflects my expertise or offerings.  Any tips on renaming would be welcomed and appreciated.  Thanks in advance.



Alligator Butter?  Assuming I have the correct website.

Rebranding is always an 50-50 proposition...it's fairly easy to go with a new 'look', but you're talking about a name change too.

So when you look at your product line...what do you 'see'?  Where you do want to go from here?  Do you have a favorite color or flower or ingredient or place?  What 'speaks' to you?


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## scentseeker (Feb 4, 2022)

TheGecko said:


> Alligator Butter?  Assuming I have the correct website.
> 
> Rebranding is always an 50-50 proposition...it's fairly easy to go with a new 'look', but you're talking about a name change too.
> 
> So when you look at your product line...what do you 'see'?  Where you do want to go from here?  Do you have a favorite color or flower or ingredient or place?  What 'speaks' to you?


Yes, Alligator Butter.  This is a very helpful response.  Thank you


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## TheGecko (Feb 4, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Yes, Alligator Butter.  This is a very helpful response.  Thank you



Definitely got a 'grandma' vibe from your packaging.  Liked some of the names of your products...like 'Living in Zen'.

I wasn't planning on selling soap...just sort of happened. Picking a name is important. When I started my LDP business I wanted to keep the process simple yet inspire confidence...I went with "Keep it Simply Legal"; ...legal document preparation for pro-se litigants. For my bookkeeping/payroll service company, I was in the middle of the Bakken Oil fields and wanted to provide affordable business solutions to all the new start-ups...I went with "Badlands Business Solutions"; ...affordable expertise. 

For my soap business...it was almost a no-brainer.  I didn't want to make 'fancy' soaps...no embeds, no frosting, no landscape pictures, no Taiwan Swirls...I wanted simple soaps...single color or a simple swirl...I wanted pastels...like the toilet paper my Mom bought...I wanted to invoke happier days.  And what was simpler and happier than the Mid-Century with it's clean architectural lines?  "Mid-Century Soap"; ...soap for every body.


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## cerelife (Feb 5, 2022)

To expand on @TheGecko 's sound advice - what _would_ you like for your business name to reflect? I know you said your current name didn't reflect your expertise and offerings, but I'm thinking more of style. What do you want your customers to think/feel when they see your business name and packaging?
- Cozy/Homey
- Elegant/Upscale
- Rustic/Farmhouse
- Minimalist/Modern
- Funky/Quirky
That kind of thing...
For instance: Browsing your website I get mostly a Cozy/Homey vibe from the business name, site, and the packaging. But some of your product names feel more Funky/Quirky. Not a bad combo - I would buy from you in a market 
But the question is: What do YOU want me (as a customer) to think/feel?


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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 5, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Yes, Alligator Butter. This is a very helpful response. Thank you


Mimi's Gator Aid!!!  

I wouldn't jeopardize your brand with making any major name change. Simply "Mimi's" may be enough. Or "Mimi's Bath & Body", Mimi's Handmade", "Mimi's for You"... you get the idea.

I checked out *your web page*. Very pretty but it could use some updating. I like the simplicity of your logo -- and the colors. That I would not change.

I would suggest you get some help for a new web site format design -- individual photos of each product, close up -- right now it's a bit of a jumble. My eye doesn't focus on any one thing when there are several items bunched together.  As your customer, I want to be able to find exactly what I want without having to look closely.

You could also use some help with label design that catches the eye. Coordinate it across your product line.

That's all I got for now.

Wishing you the best of luck in this endeavor. May you realize your dream!


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## scentseeker (Feb 5, 2022)

Oh my what helpful words. I agree with the need to update my site. Regarding my label, my logo (which I don't like) dominates and I'd need guidance in coordinating with my line. Good soapers aren't always good with these more artsy parts if the business.


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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 5, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Good soapers aren't always good with these more artsy parts if the business.


I agree. I've found that to be true with creative people in general. But it isn't so much artsy as it is having "an eye" for presentation. Few soapers have that gift.

My advice is to buzz around the internet looking for web sites that appeal to you to get ideas for "a look" that works for you. It's like working with an interior designer. They often advise tearing pages of things you like out of magazines as a starting point.



scentseeker said:


> my logo (which I don't like)


You can play around with designing your own logo, business cards, labels, etc. at *Vista Print* to get a feel for what you like. One of my wholesale customers used them for all their business needs. After a while, they got free banners and signs to put up at the various markets they sold at. I'm sure there are many others that offer something similar.


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## KiwiMoose (Feb 5, 2022)

I like some of Zany's ideas.  This is a bit too 'cute' but maybe you could get someone to draw you a stylised alligator and incorporate that into your logo along these lines:


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## lianasouza (Feb 6, 2022)

Check canva.com for logos and labels.

I think your products look unissex, but do you feel the feminine name is a problem with guys?


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## scentseeker (Feb 6, 2022)

lianasouza said:


> Check canva.com for logos and labels.
> 
> I think your products look unissex, but do you feel the feminine name is a problem with guys?


Not the feminine element as much as the suggestion of "old-fashioned". Mimi's does not invoke any particularly useful imagery, either. I'm leaning toward calendula and shea for imagery and might fid a way to incorporate those. Ex. Mimi's Calendula and Shea for Skin. Domain mimiscalendulaandshea


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## TheGecko (Feb 6, 2022)

lianasouza said:


> Check canva.com for logos and labels.
> 
> I think your products look unissex, but do you feel the feminine name is a problem with guys?



My labels are pink...doesn't seem to bother the men who purchase my soap.


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## lianasouza (Feb 6, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Not the feminine element as much as the suggestion of "old-fashioned". Mimi's does not invoke any particularly useful imagery, either. I'm leaning toward calendula and shea for imagery and might fid a way to incorporate those. Ex. Mimi's Calendula and Shea for Skin. Domain mimiscalendulaandshea



Too long... How about just Calendula and Shea?


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## scentseeker (Feb 6, 2022)

lianasouza said:


> Too long... How about just Calendula and Shea?


Some of my customers spent the weekend helping me navigate the renaming decision. The name sticks. It was a very fruitful experience. I have website work, new logo and label redesign. This forum is a gold mine.


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## KiwiMoose (Feb 7, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Some of my customers spent the weekend helping me navigate the renaming decision. The name sticks. It was a very fruitful experience. I have website work, new logo and label redesign. This forum is a gold mine.


Just popped online to show you this - a local artist who thought something like this might a be a good logo, and I thought of you straightaway!




Let me know iff you want me to put the two of you in touch.


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## scentseeker (Feb 7, 2022)

KiwiMoose said:


> Just popped online to show you this - a local artist who thought something like this might a be a good logo, and I thought of you straightaway!
> View attachment 64291
> 
> Let me know iff you want me to put the two of you in touch.


Oh, yes. Please help me make the connection. I am grateful for your thoughtfulness.


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## ScentimentallyYours (Feb 7, 2022)

You’ve gotten some great advice here on names and logos! Regarding the name, are there place names near you that would work? I’m thinking geography and geology. Are there valleys or mountains or rivers or another natural feature identifier that would work? For kicks I googled “best handmade soap websites” and found lots of ideas.  Since you offer other products, you *might* consider eliminating the word “soap” from your business name.  One other thing occurred to me regarding businesses and names is that they are often sold, so you may wish to choose a business name that could be transferred.


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## ScentimentallyYours (Feb 7, 2022)

In scrolling through websites for handmade soap I came across Alpine Provisions. They have a wide variety of products and a logo that @ResolvableOwl should steal.


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## ResolvableOwl (Feb 7, 2022)




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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 7, 2022)

ScentimentallyYours said:


> I googled “best handmade soap websites”


Brilliant! 
...Well, maybe not "brilliant" but certainly better than the advice I offered!


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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 7, 2022)

ScentimentallyYours said:


> In scrolling through websites for handmade soap I came across Alpine Provisions.


I love the simplicity of that website. Very professional presentation with well-written copy that is to the point without a lot of "yada yada".  I'm all for getting in, choosing what I want without having to spend a lotta time finding IF there's anything I want and then checking out quickly with minimal decision making.
 (only 4 out of 5 stars because it's just for selling soap,)

Speaking of which, this dude knows how to market a product... over 588,000 bars sold! WOW! Key selling points, based on my experience:

Only 3 fragrances. The more choices the longer it takes to choose.
12-Bar Bundles - I've found this to be the ideal number for a year's worth of soap!
2 & 3-Bar Bundle - Perfect when 1 isn't enough and 12 is too expensive.
Single Bars of each fragrance - ideal for trying each fragrance before buying more.


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## KiwiMoose (Feb 7, 2022)

KiwiMoose said:


> Just popped online to show you this - a local artist who thought something like this might a be a good logo, and I thought of you straightaway!
> View attachment 64291
> 
> Let me know iff you want me to put the two of you in touch.








						Ship Street Studio (@ship_street_studio) • Instagram photos and videos
					






					www.instagram.com
				




*ship_street_studio*


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## scentseeker (Feb 7, 2022)

Hello and thanks to each of you for your contributions to this endeavor.
I have, just today, contracted with a very local professional to create my logo and re-skin my website.  Packaging may get a hard look, but we all know packaging is at an all-time high for inventory issues.
Thanks again, Carol


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## ScentimentallyYours (Feb 7, 2022)

Zany_in_CO said:


> (only 4 out of 5 stars because it's just for selling soap,)


Alpine Provisions sells other personal care products and highlights plastic free packaging. They are just up the road from you, @Zany_in_CO, in Boulder.  I love the owl graphic without the horns!  (Looks a lot like @ResolvableOwl’s avatar, doesn’t it?)  it could also be a falcon, but could easily be an owl, too.


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## ScentimentallyYours (Feb 7, 2022)

Looking at your alligator cream @scentseeker, is it more accurate to say that it is anti-alligator, referring to the skin texture we get when it needs moisturizing? That’s what I thought of when I first saw the name. Cute!


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## scentseeker (Feb 7, 2022)

ScentimentallyYours said:


> Looking at your alligator cream @scentseeker, is it more accurate to say that it is anti-alligator, referring to the skin texture we get when it needs moisturizing? That’s what I thought of when I first saw the name. Cute!


I tell customers it's good enough for an Alligator.


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## Zany_in_CO (Feb 13, 2022)

ScentimentallyYours said:


> Alpine Provisions sells other personal care products and highlights plastic free packaging.


I noticed that. Seems to be a trend now. Here's another one along the same lines -- "sustainable and plastic free" I LUV the simplicity of their website. Good layout and design. Looks so professional. Makes me want to buy something! Anything!!! LOL All pertinent info readily available and easy to read. Just enough inventory to have a choice without having to slog through a lot of extraneous yada yada.

*The Earthling Co*


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## Hope Ann (Feb 21, 2022)

ScentimentallyYours said:


> In scrolling through websites for handmade soap I came across Alpine Provisions. They have a wide variety of products and a logo that @ResolvableOwl should steal.


Nice website and marketing but they.make claims that are false or not legal.

Hope


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## Peachy Clean Soap (Feb 21, 2022)

I just had the pleasure of viewing your website & I think your name & website is beautiful & wouldn’t change. That’s my 2cent worth.


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## scentseeker (Feb 21, 2022)

Peachy Clean Soap said:


> I just had the pleasure of viewing your website & I think your name & website is beautiful & wouldn’t change. That’s my 2cent worth.


Thanks. Can't get anyone to take on the task so I'll probably have to stick.


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## AliOop (Feb 21, 2022)

scentseeker said:


> Thanks. Can't get anyone to take on the task so I'll probably have to stick.


Have you tried looking on Fiverr.com? You can usually find folks who will do it at a reasonable price. Just make sure to read the ratings to make sure they are legit (not the same three people giving multiple 5-star ratings).


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## scentseeker (Feb 22, 2022)

AliOop said:


> Have you tried looking on Fiverr.com? You can usually find folks who will do it at a reasonable price. Just make sure to read the ratings to make sure they are legit (not the same three people giving multiple 5-star ratings).


Thanks for the suggestion. I had been hoping to stay local, as I do promote the concept. So many in this group have suggested I stick with what I have that I might just do that. Still on the fence. Really want a softer image.


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## lyschelw (Feb 25, 2022)

Rebranding is tough!  21 years is a long time to put into a product and there is now a lot of "good-will" associated with that name.  If you change names entirely you may confuse a lot of people.  And people don't like to be confused.  I am currently going through the same issue so I feel for you.


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## scentseeker (Feb 25, 2022)

lyschelw said:


> Rebranding is tough!  21 years is a long time to put into a product and there is now a lot of "good-will" associated with that name.  If you change names entirely you may confuse a lot of people.  And people don't like to be confused.  I am currently going through the same issue so I feel for you.


Not changing. New logo and website refresh in the works.
Good luck with your endeavors.


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