A key part of setting up a business is registering your business name. Registering a business in the UK involves submitting details to Companies House and obtaining a certificate of incorporation. The benefits of registering include legal protection, business tax benefits, and demonstrating the credibility of your business.
How to register your business
To officially register your business, you will need to provide the following information to Companies House:
- Business structure – whether you are registering your business as a Sole Trader, Private Limited Company (Ltd), Partnership, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), or Public Limited Company (PLC).
- Company name – choose a name which represents your company and is not offensive or misleading. You can check if the name is available through gov.uk.
- Company address – the official location of the business, which will be made public information on Companies House.
- Correct SIC code – find the corresponding 5-digit code for your type of business. These can be found online.
- Director(s) – the director(s) of the company and their home address (this is not shared publicly)
- Company share structure – this applies if you are registering as a limited company. You will need to include the number of shares, the price and class of each share, and the rights of the shareholders
Once you have submitted this information, you must sign a statement of compliance. You will also have to pay to register a business. It typically costs £50 to register online or £71 to register by post. Following your registration, you will be provided with a company registration number (CRN) and a certificate of incorporation. This proves your company officially exists and is compliant with legal regulations.
What is intellectual property in business?
As well as registering your business name, you can apply for an intellectual property right to protect your brand, design, or product. The importance of intellectual property in business means that you can legally protect your brand identity and prevent anyone using your designs or brand without permission. This can be through a patent, copyright, trade secret, or trade mark.
To find out more about how to protect a business name, read our blog ‘How to Trademark a Business Name’. Or for more advice on setting up your business, check out the All Things Business: Knowledge Hub.
