NZ business called Isis suffers from rise of namesake terror group

The New Zealand woman who called her business after an Egyptian goddess receives hate mail and sees her business flounder after ISIS attacks

Lisa Hotton established her business in the Financial Sector in 2004. Back then, she had never heard of the terror organization known as ISIS. She named her New Zealand company Isis after the Egyptian goddess of beauty and femininity.

Since the beginning of the year she has had abuse due to the name of the business she owns. One stranger said he wished her head would get chopped off. Now, she has had enough and decided to change the name of her company, hoping that the hate would finally stop. “For over six months I’ve been getting these horrible messages on Facebook and by e-mail from strangers because of the name of my company,” she said. “I’ve had the name Isis since 2004 and they were talking to me as if I’d just come up with this name recently. People were asking me ‘How could you!’ while one man, who I don’t even know told me that he wished my head would  be chopped of.”

Remembering her decision to name her business, she said that at the time she thought that the name was suitable as she has an interest in Egyptian belief. Now she has renamed her company to “Bay Debt Services but has kept her company logo with the Egyptian goddess. It was a sad decision to change the name of her 30-year business but felt that the negative connotations of the name were affecting her work.