How to Register your New Business

Entrepreneurs who are planning to start a new business will need to make sure that they register the name of their business with Companies House in order to establish a legally recognised enterprise. Companies House, which has offices in Bloomsbury, WC1, will record the name of your business so that it belongs to your enterprise alone and cannot be used by any other company.

However, before this can be done you must take the time to carefully choose the name of your business. Picking the right name is absolutely essential, as this will be the thing that will first attract the attention of potential customers and future affiliated businesses. The name of your company will appear on all of your advertising material and other material must both stand out and create a lasting impression with everyone who sees and hears it.

Entrepreneurs must also bear in mind that certain words are restricted from being used in company names and it is a good idea to do a quick search to make sure that your chosen company name does not contain any of these words. A full list of all the words and phrases that are restricted can easily be found online. If you discover that your chosen company name contains one or more of these words it may still be possible to register your choice of company name. Before registering you company name you will need to request permission from the Secretary of State. You may either choose to do this yourself in writing or have a representative apply to the Secretary of State on your behalf.

After this hurdle has been successfully overcome it will now be possible for you to register your business name. This can be done in person by taking a trip to Companies House or visiting their website. Alternatively, new entrepreneurs can also complete an online Business Name Application Form and post the form to the National Business Register office at Somerset House on the Birmingham Business Park along with a cheque to cover the cost of the registration fee and membership.

After receiving this form a member of staff at the National Business Register will check to ensure that the company name you have chosen is legal and is not currently being used by another company. Once these checks have been completed and the chosen name has been established as being legal and original a member of staff at the National Business Register will then add your company name to the national database and prepare a certificate. This certificate will confirm the name and is proof that your company name meets the requirements set out by the Companies Act.