How to Register a Company Name

One of the first steps in forming and registering your business is registering a company name. The face of a business is its name and so the selection process has to be carefully considered. It is the name of your company that connects it to its market. The name must not only be unique but also be easily memorable.

There are four types of companies that can be formed, which include a private company that is limited by guarantee, a private company that is limited by shares, a private limited company, and a private unlimited company.

The bulk of new companies are private limited companies, since they have several benefits in terms of taxes and insurance. Do remember that just by registering a company name, you do not gain any proprietary rights – you will have to register a trademark for protection.

The process of registering company names is quite straightforward, but the key is to find the right name which is still available, and for this you can use an agency such as Companyformations24.7, who can check if the business name you have selected is available or not.

While registering a company is not very complicated, there are some very specific regulations. Business names can be rejected by the Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) for a number of reasons, such as not being unique names, having offensive words or for not including the word ‘limited’ if it is a limited liability company.

It is a good idea to conduct a search of the business names at the Companies House index to see if there are any existing companies with similar names. Professional agents such as companyformations247.co.uk can take care of the complete process online.

There are also certain words that are considered ‘sensitive’ – such as those that give the impression that they are connected to the HM government or with the local authorities. If your company name includes any of these names then it will need the approval of the Secretary of State for BERR and additional documentation will have to be furnished to support the application. Understanding how to register companies is not too complicated, but since it is a serious issue, it is best left to experts like Companyformations24.7.

Once you have finalized a company name, all documents for incorporation or, in the case of a company name change, a special resolution, need to be submitted to the New Companies Section of Companies House in Cardiff for all companies registering in England and Wales. For new companies located in Scotland, all documents have to be submitted to the Registrar of Companies for Scotland in Edinburgh.

If the name of the company does not appear on the Company Names Index, does not need the approval of the Secretary of State, and all documents are in order, the new company name is then registered and the certificate of incorporation is issued, completing the registration process for a company name.