What should I name my babysitting business?

Finding a name for a new business can be challenging and time-consuming, leaving some business owners feeling paralysed. Some can’t even start writing their business plan until they choose a name. If you plan to become a self-employed babysitter, you might think to yourself, ‘what should I name my babysitting business?’

This guide will help you find a name by answering the following questions:

• Why is a business name important?
• What should I name my babysitting business?
• How can Countingup help self-employed babysitters?

Your business name is central to your babysitting company, playing a more significant role than most other assets. Here’s why:

Your business name is the first thing anyone sees and appears across all your communication, both online and offline. A well-chosen name instantly tells someone who you are, what you do, and why you’re the right choice for them. You only get one shot as a first impression, and your name is a big part of that.

Your brand name will also headline your adverts and give viewers a way of recognising your business with one glance. A business name also helps you tie your online platforms together, creating a link between your website, social media accounts, email campaigns, and so on.

A well-chosen business name also helps you stand out in a sea of similar businesses. Your name is the first step to establishing your unique position in the babysitting and childcare field. As a babysitter, having a fun and informative name will inspire trust with potential customers as well. 

Coming up with a business name is easier said than done, especially if you don’t have a procedure for conjuring one up. We’ve created a list of steps you can take to help you find the perfect name for your babysitting business.

First, sit down and think about what words could fit into your business name. The goal is to create a list of names that will attract parents to your babysitting services. Words suitable for a babysitting business might be ‘happy’, ‘care’, ‘safe’, ‘smiling’, and so on. These types of words indicate the children will be well looked after. 

There are a few things to keep in mind when naming your babysitting business. Ideally, your name should:

• Be brief, attractive, and unique to stand out from other babysitting businesses
• Avoid hyphens, numbers and deliberate misspellings (like ‘babie’ instead of ‘baby’)
• Include SEO keywords where possible to help people find you. Learn more in our Beginners Guide to Small Business SEO.

Once you have a list of possible names, it’s time to go through them and pick the best ones. You’ll want to remove names that might be difficult to remember, spell or say aloud. Instead, keep names that are:

• Simple and easy to remember
• Easy to read and say aloud
• Have a relevant meaning
• Avoid cliches and overused words
• Different from competitors

Once you’ve picked your favourites, it’s time to see what others think about them.

After narrowing down your list of names, you should be left with 3-6 great babysitting business names. Before settling on one, it’s good to get feedback from potential customers and other people in the industry. These people will be your target audience when you start working, which makes their opinions valuable. Ask them questions like:

• How do the names sound?
• What feelings do they inspire?
• How would you spell them?
• Which one is your favourite and why?

Getting feedback from your target audience will help you find a name that will resonate with them once you start looking for clients. 

You also need to check if any other babysitters use the business name you want. Search the Companies House register for existing company names to avoid using another babysitter’s name.

If your chosen name is available, you’ll also want to buy that domain name so potential customers can find you online. Think of it as a business investment. Sites like GoDaddy.com are great for checking what domain names are already in use.

Finally, check if the social media handles for your desired business name are available on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can learn more about how to use social media for business here.

Registering your babysitting business name is fairly easy and quick but does involve some rules. You must complete your registration with Companies House via either the online portal or postal application. Online applications are cheaper and faster to complete, meaning they could be the difference between using the name you want and not.

If you’ve decided to make your babysitting business a limited company, the standard format in the UK usually requires the name to end in ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd’. This specifically denotes that your business is a limited company.

In addition, Companies House may require you to change your name after registering if it’s ‘too like’ another. This is why it’s a good idea to explore variations of the name you’ve chosen to make sure you can still use it. 

Once you get your business up and running, you need a good system to manage your finances. When you’re starting your own business, it’s important to keep your personal and business finances separate from day one – to save yourself from time-consuming admin headaches further down the line. 

When you sign up for a Countingup business current account, you’ll receive free accounting software with a range of time-saving tools. 

Simply log into the app to create and send invoices, get financial insights, and confidently manage your new business finances. Find out more here.