Brand names for professional services
Clients check your website and LinkedIn before they get in touch, so claim one name on all of them. Some professional titles are protected by law.
Which platforms should a professional services firm claim?
The .com, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, plus WhatsApp if clients message you, and a trademark check.
| Platform | Why claim it | Cost to join | Sign-up takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | The address clients trust and email | $11.08 a year | 5 to 15 min |
| Clients, referrals and hiring | Free | 10 to 20 min | |
| Local clients, Pages and groups | Free | 10 min to 3 days | |
| Your work and your team | Free | 5 to 15 min | |
| Client questions by chat | Free | 5 to 15 min | |
| Trademarks | Protects the name on all of them | From $350 a class (US) | 1 to 2 hours to file |
WhatsApp is rolling out business usernames country by country through 2026.[1]
Checks the .com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Trademarks in one search.
Which domain endings suit professional services?
Get the .com if you can. Most service endings start under $10, then renew at $22.14 to $63.34 a year.
| Ending | First year | Each year after |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $11.08 | $11.08 |
| .agency | $3.60 | $27.29 |
| .consulting | $21.11 | $43.77 |
| .legal | $5.66 | $63.34 |
| .partners | $7.72 | $63.34 |
| .services | $8.75 | $34.50 |
| .solutions | $3.60 | $31.41 |
| .pro | $3.09 | $22.14 |
These are Porkbun's prices; other registrars differ. More in Which domain ending should I pick?[9]
Which trademark classes cover a professional services firm?
Consulting, accounting and marketing go in class 35, financial advice in 36, design and IT in 42, and legal services in 45.
| Class | WIPO covers | For a services firm |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Advertising, business management, office functions | Consulting, accounting, marketing, recruitment |
| 36 | Financial, monetary and banking services, insurance | Financial advice, insurance brokers |
| 42 | Scientific and technological services and design | Architecture, engineering, IT, graphic design |
| 45 | Legal services, among other things | Law firms, IP advice |
| 41 | Education, training, entertainment | Training and coaching |
Each extra class adds $350 in the US, €50 to €150 in the EU and £60 in the UK. Read Do I need a trademark before I launch? before you file.[2, 6, 7, 8]
Which professional titles can't you use in a UK business name?
Several, unless you hold the qualification. A UK business name with "architect" needs a registered architect in charge. Implying you're a solicitor when you aren't is an offense in England and Wales.
| Word | UK rule |
|---|---|
| Architect | Only with a registered architect in charge |
| Solicitor | Qualified solicitors only (England and Wales) |
| Chartered | Letter from your professional body |
| Chartered accountant | Letter from the relevant institute |
| Chartered surveyor | Never in a company name |
Naval, landscape and golf-course architects are exempt from the architect rule. A business name that isn't a company can say "chartered surveyor" with a non-objection letter from RICS. Other countries set their own rules.[3, 4, 5]
Sources (9)
- PrimaryZero To 1000's platform catalog: costs and sign-up times from each platform's own pages; domain prices from Porkbun's price list
- PrimaryWIPO: Nice Classification, NCL 13-2026
- PrimaryGOV.UK: Incorporation and names, annex A: sensitive words and expressions
- Primarylegislation.gov.uk: Solicitors Act 1974, section 21
- Primarylegislation.gov.uk: Architects Act 1997, section 20
- PrimaryUSPTO: How much does it cost?
- PrimaryEUIPO: Fees and payments
- PrimaryGOV.UK: Apply to register a trade mark
- PrimaryPorkbun: domain name pricing, the public price list our checker reads daily