Monday, January 11, 2010

How to Register a Business in UK

To register a business you need to first decide the location where you want to trade. For instance, if you want to trade in the UK, you must register your company name with the Companies House. This agency is the legal entity in UK that oversees all aspects of company formations. Some documents that you require to register a business in the UK are the certified copies of your business documents and the registration fee.

Steps to Register a Business in the UK
Before you register a business, choose the business structure and organization. You can choose from among public limited companies, private limited companies or private unlimited companies. A private limited company is also of two types: those limited by shares and those limited by guarantee.

The next step is to register the name of your company. For registering your company name, you need to fill up forms that are downloaded from the website of the Companies House. For registering the address of your business, you must fill out Form 691.

The registration form should be mailed to the given address with a fee of £10. If you wish to operate your business in England and Wales, mail to the Registrar at Companies House, Cardiff. If you want to conduct your business in Scotland, mail to the Registrar at Companies House, Edinburgh.

How to Register a Business: Tips on Choosing Company Name
Choosing a company name is one of the first requirements of registering a business. Here are some tips to help you in the company name selection:
  • The Companies House maintains an index of existent company names. Once you choose a name for your company, check in the index whether the name already exists. If it does, choose another name for your business.
  • The proposed name must not include certain restricted terms, such as British, government, national, international and institution. Choose a legal name that is easily approved by the Companies House.
  • The Intellectual Property Office also maintains a Trade Marks Register that contains a list of registered trademarks. Consult this to avoid any conflict with the existing trademarks.
To register a business in the UK, you can seek the specialised services of company formation agents. Company Formations 247 is a well-known agent in the UK who can help you in selecting a suitable name and office address, and register your company quickly and effectively.

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