What’s in a Name?

Starting a company can be an exhilarating journey. Discovering a need for something you or your team are specially qualified to meet, then crafting the solution and finally watching as your product or service finds acceptance is a special and unique experience. As you develop your company you have frequent opportunities to explain your solution or your mission. How can you do that effectively?

We know a company name plays an important role in communicating one’s mission. The role can be direct. Names like Steinbach Bible College or Swift High Speed Internet leave no doubt as to what these organizations provide. On the other hand, other names rely entirely on reputation and connections developed over time. McDonald’s and Rolls-Royce trigger mental associations among us that define our expectations of these companies.

At Plains Edge, we developed a name that captures our personal background, our present location and our mission. Pat grew up in the Black Forest of southern Germany and still appreciates wooded hills and curving roads. Judy’s family farmed the flat prairies west of the Red River, so she enjoys a slow sunset against a huge sky. As a result, we both enjoy our present location on the border between the prairies and the Canadian Shield– or Plains Edge.

For our clients, we tell the story of hiking in the woods; each twist in the trail revealing something new– perhaps wild strawberries or a surprised skunk. That is a great adventure story but a poor way to manage the finances of an organization. We seek to help Boards of Directors and business owners understand their finances clearly and to step out onto the prairie. Here they can see the trail for miles and anticipate that storm building in the western sky.

If you have an inspiring story behind your company name, tell us about it in an email to Info@PlainsEdge.com.