I'd been thinking I'd thought of the perfect name for my soon-to-be cake business, checked URLS, researched names with the state, so I was all set to start purchasing domains and registering the name, when I suddenly noticed a bakery in my town in a little strip mall with a name rather similar to mine. I had come up with Blissful Bakes and Custom Cakes (no one steal it, k?) and this place is called Hot Bakes 'n Cakes.
&*&^%^)*((!!
Of all the dumb luck.
I've been trying to convince myself to stick with my name, since they don't own the phrase Bakes and Cakes, and that it's just another word for bakery. But I've completely avoided anything with the word "Cakery" because there is a rather popular storefront in the area with that moniker.
I think they are a little different, it's an Indian restaurant that does custom cakes, whereas my business will be completely home-based custom baked goods, like cookies, cupcakes, edible favors, and of course, custom cakes.
Is it too similar, especially since we are both in the same city? Should I keep brainstorming? I have a few back-ups but that one always wins when I poll random people.
I don't think that's similar at all. I have a friend currently dealing with a much tougher situation- someone just opened a shop near her with the very same name, only with "bakery" added to the end.
I have to agree with everyone else. I see no similarities in the names. 
And....I do like your name...BTW..
I see no similarities either 
I think it's a GREAT name! I am sure you want everything to be perfect, I would be the same 
The blissful really stands out as the primary word that people will remember so no, I don;t think they'll get confused at all. Go for it!
They do sound somewhat similar to me, but I really think it comes down to the size of your city and how far away your place will be from this bakery. If you are in a large city, then this may not be an issue at all. However, if you're from a small town with only 3 bakeries, you might want to reconsider. I would look in your phone book and see how the name of your business will look in the list after its published. How many other listings are there in between you and this other bakery? If you don't plan to list your business in the phone book and you don't plan to have a store front, you probably don't have an issue anyway.
They do sound somewhat similar to me, but I really think it comes down to the size of your city and how far away your place will be from this bakery. If you are in a large city, then this may not be an issue at all. However, if you're from a small town with only 3 bakeries, you might want to reconsider. I would look in your phone book and see how the name of your business will look in the list after its published. How many other listings are there in between you and this other bakery? If you don't plan to list your business in the phone book and you don't plan to have a store front, you probably don't have an issue anyway.
I'm in a metro area, but this other bakery is in the same city as me, maybe 3 miles away. No storefront for me, and I hadn't thought about the phone book because I use a cell and those are generally unlisted numbers, but that gives me something to think about.
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