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	<title>Scott Sanfilippo &#124; eCommerce Pioneer &#124; Solid Cactus Co-Founder &#187; ferrets</title>
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		<title>&quot;You Named Your Baby What?&quot; Or, &quot;Why A Good Business Name is Important.&quot;</title>
		<link>http://www.scottsanfilippo.com/2009/11/you-named-your-baby-what-or-why-a-good-business-name-is-important/</link>
		<comments>http://www.scottsanfilippo.com/2009/11/you-named-your-baby-what-or-why-a-good-business-name-is-important/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:33:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott Sanfilippo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ramblings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business names]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[domain names]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferrets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferretstore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[neeps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid cactus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[south florida]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scottsanfilippo.com/?p=1335</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I first started in business back in 1994, I set out to sell supplies for pet ferrets and other &#8220;exotic&#8221; critters. The name given to the company at that time was &#8220;Northeast Exotic Pet Supply.&#8221; But just after a few weeks, ferret owners complained by the dozens that &#8220;ferrets are not exotic animals.&#8221; So [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:url='http://www.scottsanfilippo.com/2009/11/you-named-your-baby-what-or-why-a-good-business-name-is-important/' addthis:title='&quot;You Named Your Baby What?&quot; Or, &quot;Why A Good Business Name is Important.&quot; '  ><a class="addthis_button_facebook_like" fb:like:layout="button_count"></a><a class="addthis_button_tweet"></a><a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:size="medium"></a><a class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style"></a></div><p>When I first started in business back in 1994, I set out to sell supplies for pet ferrets and other &#8220;exotic&#8221; critters.  The name given to the company at that time was &#8220;Northeast Exotic Pet Supply.&#8221;  But just after a few weeks, ferret owners complained by the dozens that &#8220;<em>ferrets are not exotic animals.</em>&#8221;</p>
<p>So in a mad dash the name was changed to simply NEEPS since we already owned the <a href="http://www.neeps.com?scottsanfilippo.com">neeps.com</a> domain and domain names were far more expensive than they are today.  So we did business as NEEPS until we saved up enough money to buy <a href="http://www.theferretstore.com?scottsanfilippo.com">TheFerretStore.com</a> domain.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m always asked where the names of the companies I owned came from.  Take <a href="http://www.solidcactus.com?scottsanfilippo.com">Solid Cactus</a> for instance.  It means absolutely nothing.  We were sitting around the office one day wondering what to call the company, I wanted something that looked good in a <a href="http://www.logoyes.com?scottsanfilippo.com">logo</a>, we tossed shapes around and came up with the funky name that caught on quickly.</p>
<p>When I&#8217;m asked what NEEPS stands for, I pass on the pet supply explanation and cut straight to the alternate ending.  It means nothing.  <strong>N</strong>othing <strong>E</strong>xcept <strong>E</strong>xtremely <strong>P</strong>athetic <strong>S</strong>hit.  That always illicits a chuckle from the ask-ee, then I tell them the truth.</p>
<p>I always look at company names and try to figure out the meaning behind them.  The other night I passed a furniture store with a name that made me smile.  With my camera at the ready, I snapped away in the hopes that you will get a chuckle out of it as well.</p>
<p>I just wonder what the &#8220;more&#8221; is.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.neepshost.com/scottsanfilippo/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/IMG_20642.jpg" alt="IMG_2064" title="IMG_2064" width="600" height="450" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1336" /></p>
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