A company’s name can make or break your startup. Brian Solomon (@Brian_Solomon) of Forbes explains how committing to a brand name that isn’t cohesive with your service, or is easily misrepresented, can crush your user rate. WayUp, originally thecampusjob.com, had this issue and tried to fix it multiple times. They shortly changed their title to Campus Job, dropping “The” much like Facebook. Yet, they found media would continually misrepresent them as “College Jobs/collegejobs.com.”
According to Solomon, a company should follow this detailed checklist (if applicable):

Legal

• Resolution to alter name on incorporation documents

• Trademark attorney

• Trademark search

• Trademark registration (black + white)

• Inform government

• Update copy for T&C + Privacy Policy

• Change all templates for hiring documents

Finances

• Talk to your bank

• Change credit cards

• Insurance companies + Benefits companies

• Change payroll, and any benefit services

• Update billing for vendors

• Notify accountants and bookkeepers

Social Media

• Change Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat handles

• Change your Facebook page name

• Change your YouTube name

Product

• Change homepage text (“Formerly Campus Job”)

• Switch out video on homepage

• Change screenshots on the “About” page

• Update FAQ

Communications

• Change email handles

• Change info on LinkedIn + get all employees to change their company name on LinkedIn

• Change email signatures for all employees

• Change info on Google for Business / Google Maps

• Write emails for all current users

Investors

• Change your AngelList page

• Email all investors letting them know about the name change

• Let investors know for portfolio pages

Your number one goal should be to choose a name that will never have to be changed, but if you run into an issue like WayUp did, following this checklist will allow you to change it relatively seamlessly.