How to register a company in the UK?

When you decide to start a business in the UK, you also need to register it. You must avoid the mistakes while starting a business. Registering the company is a legal process that requires you to be familiar with the legality and obligations.

Once you have the idea, you must register the business at the Companies House. You must choose a business structure, understand how it will run, and much more.

Steps to starting your business in the UK

When you are determined to start a business in the UK, you need to know what your company is all about. Being familiar with the small details can play an essential role in helping you avoid any major mistakes.

Some of the common steps to start your business in the UK include the following:

Choose the company structure

Entrepreneurs must know the basic rule of starting a business in the UK. Most entrepreneurs consider choosing a private company limited by structure, mainly because the business owners get an opportunity to manage their taxes better.

If you are the Director of this company, you can draw some income from the company’s dividends. Thus, you may need to pay less in income tax. This business structure ensures no financial asset is at risk of financial trouble if the company makes losses. Therefore, you will have limited liability.

Register your company name

Registering a company’s name in the UK requires following the necessary rules. You must ensure the name is available whenever you establish a new company. Nonetheless, following the rules is essential, or your business procedure may get cancelled.

As per the rules, you can’t register any hurtful or sensitive names or already registered names. Some of the common tips to follow while choosing the name for your company include:

Research the market: When you establish a company, you know there will be competition. Therefore, research the market and check if competitors have the same name as you have decided.

Choose a meaningful name: The name you choose for the company should be meaningful. It should be something that reflects your brand and helps to put forward the idea.

Short names: Short names allow you to connect with your audience more. Moreover, it is a great marketing strategy.

Choose from the different company formation packages

When planning to start a company in the UK, you must choose a good package. Although the process is easy, you will have the option to choose from four different packages. The four packages include:

• E-formation: This is the perfect option if you do not want any officially printed documents.
• Essential: This package is the most efficient if you want to register a company in the UK by following all the rules and regulations.
• Entrepreneur: This option may be the most feasible if you want to start a corporation or official compliance business.
• Super: This is where you can benefit from a complete compliance package for starting your business.

Provide the details about your company

When you plan to establish a company in the UK, you need to provide all the details that should be publicly available. The Companies House requires you to submit all the necessary documents within time.

Some of the common details to enter about your company include the following:

• Registered office space: The HMRC and Companies House will send letters or emails to these locations. Therefore, you must provide details about the company’s address.
• Company Shareholders: Who are the shareholders in the company? Per the rules, every company must have one shareholder, who can also be the Director. Companies House requires the company to provide all details about the shareholders.
• Company Directors: How many directors does the company have? It is crucial to mention all this information, and it would help if you mentioned the company directors’ names, residential addresses, and dates of birth.

If you have not yet registered a business address, you can register your residential address as a company address. However, you can request the authorities if you don’t want the residential address to be available to the public.

Distribute the company shares

When you register your company and don’t have shareholders, you can distribute one share to every shareholder. However, you can also consider saving individual shares for yourself, and the company director must allocate the percentage for themselves.

Finish memorandum and articles of association

Memorandums and Articles of Association are highly crucial to running a company. The directors and the shareholders must agree on the terms and sign the documents, and they must prepare all the documents before you register a limited company in the UK.

The articles of association will provide all the necessary documents of the company. The directors and shareholders must agree to all the conditions of the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The rules contain details regarding internal management affairs, legality, and how to run a company.

The Articles of Association will also explain how a particular decision will impact the company. It will also analyse the role of shareholders and directors within the company. Many companies follow a standard model and mustn’t break any laws in this situation.

Share all the documents with companies house

Once your documents are ready, you must submit them to the Companies House. You should submit the documents within the deadline, approximately by 3 PM.

You must register for PSC or People with Significant Control. Registering and filing these documents ensures that information transparency is wholly maintained. Furthermore, if you are looking for investment, this can be highly beneficial.

Conclusion

When you register your company and don't have shareholders, you can distribute one share to every shareholder. However, you can also consider saving individual shares for yourself, and the company director must allocate the percentage for themselves.