Company name available?
Discussion
you check for the name on companies house: https://ewf.companieshouse.gov.uk//runpage?page=we...
Domains run from £2/year to £10/year. Hosting can be as cheap as £5/year for a very basic site. Most PH'er like TSOHost, check out their site.
Domains run from £2/year to £10/year. Hosting can be as cheap as £5/year for a very basic site. Most PH'er like TSOHost, check out their site.
Checking the name at Companies House is really only significant if you want to use the same or a very similar name for a new limited company. If you want to run your business as a sole trader or through a non-limited partnership, then you can use whatever name you like - up to a point.
Thank you for the quick replies!
On the face of it, it will be a non limited company as a sole trader. I have checked the register and the name is available.
I have just looked on the 'National Business Register' and the domain name is free too. But on further progress of that site, they want £30 per quarter!
If I know the domain name is free, is there a cheaper way to get it set up? I know Wix have some free templates that you can use, so may sign up with them and have a play at designing. But this is all very new and alien to me, so any tips and info/help is appreciated.
Many thanks
Cad
On the face of it, it will be a non limited company as a sole trader. I have checked the register and the name is available.
I have just looked on the 'National Business Register' and the domain name is free too. But on further progress of that site, they want £30 per quarter!
If I know the domain name is free, is there a cheaper way to get it set up? I know Wix have some free templates that you can use, so may sign up with them and have a play at designing. But this is all very new and alien to me, so any tips and info/help is appreciated.
Many thanks
Cad
caduceus said:
On the face of it, it will be a non limited company as a sole trader. I have checked the register and the name is available.
I have just looked on the 'National Business Register' and the domain name is free too. But on further progress of that site, they want £30 per quarter!
If I know the domain name is free, is there a cheaper way to get it set up? I know Wix have some free templates that you can use, so may sign up with them and have a play at designing. But this is all very new and alien to me, so any tips and info/help is appreciated.
Sole Trader means that you and the business are the same legal entity. There's no 'company' limited or otherwise. I have just looked on the 'National Business Register' and the domain name is free too. But on further progress of that site, they want £30 per quarter!
If I know the domain name is free, is there a cheaper way to get it set up? I know Wix have some free templates that you can use, so may sign up with them and have a play at designing. But this is all very new and alien to me, so any tips and info/help is appreciated.
A domain name was about £6pa last time I looked. Are you after a fancy suffix or are you getting domain name, hosting and website mixed up?
Simpo Two said:
caduceus said:
On the face of it, it will be a non limited company as a sole trader. I have checked the register and the name is available.
I have just looked on the 'National Business Register' and the domain name is free too. But on further progress of that site, they want £30 per quarter!
If I know the domain name is free, is there a cheaper way to get it set up? I know Wix have some free templates that you can use, so may sign up with them and have a play at designing. But this is all very new and alien to me, so any tips and info/help is appreciated.
Sole Trader means that you and the business are the same legal entity. There's no 'company' limited or otherwise. I have just looked on the 'National Business Register' and the domain name is free too. But on further progress of that site, they want £30 per quarter!
If I know the domain name is free, is there a cheaper way to get it set up? I know Wix have some free templates that you can use, so may sign up with them and have a play at designing. But this is all very new and alien to me, so any tips and info/help is appreciated.
A domain name was about £6pa last time I looked. Are you after a fancy suffix or are you getting domain name, hosting and website mixed up?
One would hope the customer services department attends to such oversights before they go legal... all valid points though. It depends on the nature of the business. I've been a sole trader for over 20 years but my customer services department is immaculate. I've never been sued or even come close to it - but have had to dish out a couple of CCJs to stupid people.
These days you have to check much more than just the name availability.
Personally if the name is free and meet all the other criteria (see below), then I would register it as a limited company, you don't have to use it now, but it will be on the shelf and ready to go when you do want to switch from being a sole trader. It costs £15 (or £18) a year to file dormant accounts and do an annual return so not a lot in the scheme of things (also stops some else from pinching the name)
You also need to check the following:-
1) Domain Name availability, if the .co.uk is available but the .com is taken then check out the .com company, if they are an international company working in all markets and will be do something similar to you then CHANGE YOUR NAME!
2) Check the trademark database, this is free to check. Make sure that the name you have hasn't already been registered. If it has its not the end of the world, but you need to check out if the owner of the trademark has registered it for use within your intended field. If so CHANGE YOUR NAME!
3) Check the Limited Company and plc listings, so company names that are the same or similar (if they are similar are any in the same field as you, this could be considered as passing off, and is frowned on. You should know by now, but if they are similar and operating in the same field then CHANGE YOUR NAME!
4) I'd also do a lot of web searches, etc to make sure that non companies or even sole traders share the name or similar in the same field. Again you don't want to be passing off.
Years ago I had a limited companies that had been trading for several years, when a sole-trader popped up at the other end of the country trading under the same name (without the Ltd), he was in a different field (but effectively we both wrote software solutions). There was very little we could do without going to great expense (we were only a small company), but we contacted them on a friendly basis, and agreed not to obstruct each other and if emails ended up in the wrong place then to forward them on. This worked ok, but obviously wasn't ideal, and if then social media had been more active, and he was more active on social media than us, it could have been a problem.
Personally if the name is free and meet all the other criteria (see below), then I would register it as a limited company, you don't have to use it now, but it will be on the shelf and ready to go when you do want to switch from being a sole trader. It costs £15 (or £18) a year to file dormant accounts and do an annual return so not a lot in the scheme of things (also stops some else from pinching the name)
You also need to check the following:-
1) Domain Name availability, if the .co.uk is available but the .com is taken then check out the .com company, if they are an international company working in all markets and will be do something similar to you then CHANGE YOUR NAME!
2) Check the trademark database, this is free to check. Make sure that the name you have hasn't already been registered. If it has its not the end of the world, but you need to check out if the owner of the trademark has registered it for use within your intended field. If so CHANGE YOUR NAME!
3) Check the Limited Company and plc listings, so company names that are the same or similar (if they are similar are any in the same field as you, this could be considered as passing off, and is frowned on. You should know by now, but if they are similar and operating in the same field then CHANGE YOUR NAME!
4) I'd also do a lot of web searches, etc to make sure that non companies or even sole traders share the name or similar in the same field. Again you don't want to be passing off.
Years ago I had a limited companies that had been trading for several years, when a sole-trader popped up at the other end of the country trading under the same name (without the Ltd), he was in a different field (but effectively we both wrote software solutions). There was very little we could do without going to great expense (we were only a small company), but we contacted them on a friendly basis, and agreed not to obstruct each other and if emails ended up in the wrong place then to forward them on. This worked ok, but obviously wasn't ideal, and if then social media had been more active, and he was more active on social media than us, it could have been a problem.
Jockman said:
Did the Coroprate Manslaughter Act not effect this? Is it not prudent to take out D&O Liability Insurance too if going down the limited route?
I appreciate we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here !!
Corporate manslaughter is one of the "limited circumstances" I was referring to. Yep, DOLI insurance always prudent, and professional indemnity insurance whether going sole trader or limited company.I appreciate we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves here !!
DavidY said:
1) Domain Name availability, if the .co.uk is available but the .com is taken then check out the .com company, if they are an international company working in all markets and will be do something similar to you then CHANGE YOUR NAME!
On the National Business Register, it says the .uk, co.uk, org.uk, ltd.uk, plc.uk, me.uk, .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .tv, .eu, .co are all available.Edited to add, there is no Trademark found either.
Simpo Two said:
Are you after a fancy suffix or are you getting domain name, hosting and website mixed up?
No. Just a website, so I can have info@...... rather than some personal @BTinternet, etc address, which I personally think looks unprofessional. But just my opinion and preference. So, .co.uk, or .uk. Not too worried.caduceus said:
Eric Mc said:
What "register" did you check?
National Business RegisterWho runs it?
Does it have any legal power or authority?
If you are a "sole trader" you do not need to register with any central business data base. The only areas where you need to notify any officialdom is in respect of taxes you might be liable for i.e. Self Assessment, VAT (and PAYE if you plan on taking on staff).
In these circumstances you need to notify HMRC.
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