What's in a name?

Though we are just starting off and still have to figure out legal aspects, figure out whether to pay a bottling company or try and do it ourselves, develop brand marketing material, a logo, etc, I feel like the hardest step in any business and especially one of this nature, is simply picking a name.

I've been developing hot sauces on and off for 3 years now, as hobby, seeing as I am a "home chef" who enjoys cooking. It is one of the few hobbies that doesn't cost much, is creative and relaxing. I began developing sauces after my love for hot sauce grew, and locally, there seem to be a million different varieties. So out of boredom and a few beers I start making them at home, developing several different styles off one simple recipe and experimenting with peppers.

I purchased some 5 oz. PET bottles from SKS Bottles to put my sauce in, seal and hand out to friends. But who wants a plain bottle with no labeling? No one does. So I developed a quirky and humorous name and logo to put on the bottles, listed ingredients and stated they were produced and bottled specifically for friends. The name was Anal Volcano. Not the most appropriate of names but it was funny and invoked the hot sauce spirit. But the name made most people think the sauces were extremely hot and would send you running for the bathroom.

I through the name aside and didn't make any new sauces for a year or so. I developed a few more inventive sauces with each focusing on a certain pepper. I next came up with Major Peppers hot sauces with a clever Jalapeno mascot and American flag back drop. Again, all in fun.

Most recently as I decided it was time to take my sauces and develop a company and make this a legitimate business I was recommended by a friend to call the company Red Hot Mama after my beautiful, red-headed wife. After all we are expecting our second child Tuesday and she's a wonderful person to base a company off of.

Seeing as the name would lend to a devilish red head logo and mascot with more than averaged sized knockers, I thought the perfect slogan would be, "It's the Tits!"

A name is important for a hot sauce, as many people will buy your product based on just that. The name, the logo, the look, the description. It is one of the few condiments people will fork over $6 a bottle for and have no idea what it tastes like. The first goal is to make them buy your sauce by making it stand apart from the others through a quirky name, an attractive logo, and the name of the individual sauce. It's then my job to create a recipe that keeps them coming back for more.

In my next blog, expect some of my research on bottling companies, and the trials and tribulations of figuring out how to legally sell sauces.

- Jay -