What’s in a Business Name???

By Richard Dowson Opinion/Commentary

A good business name is descriptive, informative and most of all, functional. A person sees the name and knows what the business does.

Consider the name, “Fred’s Small Engine Repair”. Even though there may be no one named Fred – you know the company repairs small engines. Or “Moose Jaw Toyota”. You know right away that it is the Toyota dealer in Moose Jaw. Or Central Collegiate, a school.

Some signs don’t make any sense. Take the name “Saskatchewan Polytech”. We know it is in Saskatchewan but what really is a ‘Polytech’? Short of doing an Internet search, the name is neither descriptive or informative.

The name, ‘Saskatchewan Polytech’ is new. It was introduced after Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party took power. Yup! The same Brad Wall who increased the Provincial Sales Tax and slapped it on almost everything.

The old name was: ‘Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology’. That name was descriptive, informative and functional. It made sense.

I checked with my AI friend to see what a ‘Polytech’ was. Here’s its answer: Polytech “… refers to a polytechnic institution, an educational establishment focused on applied sciences, technical skills, and hands-on learning ...”.

So why spend all the taxpayer money to change the name from ‘Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology’ to ‘Saskatchewan Polytech’?

Who knows. Governments – and this includes the Government of Saskatchewan – piss away money all the time because no one challenges them.

Governments at all levels know people quit complaining and give up in frustration. Governments, big and small, don’t listen to the people. They listen to themselves.

Writer Richard Dowson is a retired educator.

He is known for his frequenting local coffee shops and other places seniors gather.

In a previous life he wrote comedy for CHED in Edmonton.

His views may or may not reflect the views of this publication.