How Important is your sparky business name? Everything. | 81

Picked the wrong name for your electrical business - regret it? 

You’re not alone... I’ve done it twice. Here’s why it matters more than you think and how to fix it without starting over.

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Transcript

“Bend the steel conduit around the builder's head—he’ll pay next week.”

Welcome to Simplified Sparky Marketing.

Naming your business correctly is absolutely vital. I made this mistake along the way, and it's fitting this week because three people mentioned to me they've got the wrong name for their business. One of them, in particular, is a member inside Simplified Sparky. It wasn’t until going through one of the early modules—where we dig into your target market and whether people know what you do—that it clicked.

That’s what this podcast is about: when people see your business name—on your van, website, or social media—can they immediately tell you’re an electrician? Because you only have a couple of seconds to make that clear. If they have to guess, they’ll move on.

A great way to test this is something I call The Mum Test. Show your website or business name to your mum and ask her what she thinks you do—based just on the name and logo. If she can’t tell, chances are your clients can’t either.

The names that have come up recently include things like “Enterprise,” “Group,” “Solutions,” “Tech.” So let’s say you’ve named your business Labrador Tech—maybe because you love Labradors and thought the name sounded clean and modern. That’s all good… but no one knows you’re an electrician. It’s vague. Labrador Tech Solutions or Labrador Group just adds more confusion.

You need “Electrician” or “Electrical” in the name. You might get away with “Sparky” in Australia because it’s clear and colloquial—but I’d still lean toward “Electrical” for clarity.

And don’t worry—if you’ve chosen the wrong name, it’s fixable.

Let me tell you how I stuffed up.

Originally, I named my business after where I’m from—West Cork. I squished the two words into one and thought I was a rockstar. “Everyone will figure it out,” I told myself. I had this ego that people would know who I am. They didn’t. Nobody takes time to research your name. They see it for two seconds and decide if they’ll remember you. Spoiler: they won’t, unless it’s dead obvious.

Another guy I spoke to recently runs Power Solutions. Sounds like an electrician to us… but to an average person? Could be solar, could be IT, could be anything. Again—clarity trumps cleverness.

Here’s the deal: keeping a vague or confusing name is costing you money.

It’s not hard to fix either. You don’t need a new ABN. You just need to register a new business trading name under your existing ABN.

Before anything, go to ASIC and search the business name to make sure it’s available. Then check Instagram handles, Facebook pages, Google Business, and domain names. Make sure it’s not taken—even in another state. Because if there’s a Labrador Electrical up in QLD and they end up on A Current Affair—guess what? Your name gets dragged into the mess, too.

And I’ve actually made this mistake twice. Simplified Sparky Marketing used to be called Simplified Tradie Marketing until I decided I only wanted to work with electricians. So I went back, registered a new trading name, updated my visuals, and carried on. Easy fix.

The cost with ASIC is about $50 a year. That’s it. Your business name is a marketing tool—it’s not just a sticker for your van.

If you’ve got a confusing name, you don’t need a full rebrand. You can:

• Keep your logo, just change the wording.
• Keep your website—just change the heading and copy.
• Update your business cards, uniforms, and signage gradually.
• Use AI or a graphic designer to tweak your visual branding.

The key point is this: simple names are memorable, confusing names are forgettable.

I want to challenge you—if you think your name might be off, write it on a piece of paper. Then go to a pub or hand it to a random person in your suburb (better yet, get your partner to do it). Ask them, “What does this business do?” If they hesitate—you’ve got your answer.

Now show them a new name, like “Labrador Electrical,” and ask the same question.

Changing your business name could cost you a few hundred bucks. Keeping a confusing one could cost you thousands in lost leads and missed opportunities.

That’s what we’re about—making more money by being smart with your marketing.

All links are in the show notes below. If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take two seconds to hit the stars and leave a rating. It really helps.

Chat to you next week.