Starting a Medical Practice: Name it right, the first time !
So lets get to the first step. Naming your new medical practice. This is where emotions and trademarks collide. One of the funniest thing to do will be to name the medical practice after your name or last name. Invariably the physicians who do that have to eventually change the medical practice name. A Neurosurgeon who named his new medical practice – Smith Neurosurgery finally had to change the name because the other MD working with him did not want to become partner until he inserted his name into the medical practice. So our Smith had his ego crash to the ground. Yet I give him credit as he did not let ego come in the way of business expansion. That’s how a business decisions are made – cold heartedly.
The other thing to avoid is using names similar to similar businesses in the state. For example if their is " Jungle Medical Group" in your area and you call you new medical practice "Jungle Medicine" , you are heading right into trouble. You are now infringing rights of JMG. However, if there is a business called "E. Coli Ice cream" and you open a medical practice called "E. Coli Medical Group" you are safe as both business do not provider similar services and consumers will not confuse them to be the same.
Where to find whether the name you have selected is already in use or not? Every state has a business related .gov website (usually secretary of state) where you can go and look them up. Also when you file for business registration with secretary of state office, they will research to make sure your medical practice name is not already in use. If you are not ready to start your medical practice but still want to reserve a name? You can do that too for a small fee and reserve it for about six months or so.
Here is a test your "medical practice name" should pass. Answering negative to any question is "F" grade.
1) Easy to pronounce
Skolopolvskiz Medical Associates OR Sunrise Medical Associates
2) Easy to Spell
Caesarean Obstetrics OR Cobalt Obstetrics
3) Easy to understand who you are!!
Palmetto Infections OR Palmetto Infectious Disease Specialists
4) Easy to Speak
Grand Falkin Dermatologic Surgical Associates OR Grand Dermatology
5) And also make it easy to remember
The most important is the point 3 above. After hearing the medical practice name , the patients should not have to guess or read further to find out what you specialize in or what you do. If you do not take care of this in the beginning, it will cost you lot of marketing dollars to send your message.
