What's in a name? Thoughts on "Capital" for self-funded, solo, geo search?

October 24, 2019

by a searcher from Harvard University - Harvard Business School in Miami, FL, USA

Pretty basic question here....but one I need to resolve to get things started. I am going back and forth between traditional search fund "suffixes" like Capital, Partners, Group, etc. I am concerned about these names being misleading (because I am one person) or off-putting (because they sound like larger PE) to small business owners. Has anyone faced resistance due to a naming convention, or have thoughts on the matter?

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Reply by a searcher
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Miami Beach, FL, USA

I have a slightly unusual name for my search LLC. I called mine Barr Dynamics because I always liked the name "General Dynamics." Might be egotistical to use my own last name, but hey, I'm also the only employee so it's descriptive! I personally like the name because (1) It's associated with engineering and aerospace but doesn't lock down one particular industry, (2) over time, I could make it into a modest conglomerate or holding company, which would be my dream, and (3) by sounding more like a conglomerate, I can make the case that I'm more interested in being a long-term owner of. the business than a fund trying to slash costs and re-sell the business. In short, I believe there's a very small advantage in breaking from the herd with respect to naming.

I agree with other posters that most people don't care about the name. But I'd shy away from calling your fund "group" or "partners" with only 1 partner - just like, as I learned after doing this myself, one shouldn't use "we" when you're the only individual behind a business.

Reply by an admin
from Stanford University in Honolulu, HI, USA

Welcome, ^redacted‌: ^redacted‌ wrote an article 5 years ago on this subject: https://www.searchfunder.com/post/jim-sharpe-selecting-your-search-name-1. I am curious to know if folks have spotted any trends that shift this advice. If you'd like to have a bit of fun, you can also try our Name Generator: https://www.searchfunder.com/post/need-a-name-for-your-searchfund-try-our-free-name-generator. I got: Oak Range Partners.

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