Figurate!

On a more personal note – the name of my own company is now Figurate Ltd.
The legal name change at Companies House was quite straightforward.  It took a little more time to communicate the change to my clients and bank.  However, what will take the longest is changing all the directory/advertising entries that had been set up [...]

Change of Company Name by Written Resolution

The other method of changing the name of a limited company is by written resolution.
This is a resolution passed unanimously by the members (shareholders) of a company.  All the members are then required to sign and date the document.
A Change of Name by Written Resolution form (NC20) is also available for download at the Companies House [...]

Change of Company Name by Special Resolution

There are two ways of changing the name of a limited company, the first of these is by Special Resolution.
This is a resolution that must be passed at a general meeting of the company with a majority of 75%.  An ordinary resolution only requres a 51% majority.
A Change of Name by Special Resolution form (NC19) [...]

Renaming Your Company

It’s always best to chose a good name for your business at the outset , but in case you hadn’t, it is possible to change the name of a limited company after it’s registered.
You must first check to make sure that the new name you have chosen is available.  This can be done online using Comapnies House [...]

Profit and Loss

The Profit and Loss account is probably the financial statement that gets the most attention.  At it’s simplest, it is merely a statement of income less expenditure – which hopefully still leaves a positive figure.  If you are a plc (public limited company, who’s shares are traded on the stock exchange), the Companies Act lays [...]

Balance Sheet

A balance sheet is divided into two halves, with either:

the capital and liabilities in one half and assets in the other; or
capital in one half and net assets in the other.

 The balance sheet may be presented horizontally or vertically.  In either case, both halves must add up to the same total.
However, a balance sheet is not so named because [...]

Naming your Company

I came across this article about naming your company, at Vitamin, by Michael McDermot
which identifies five critical steps in naming your company.
It recognises just how important naming your company is. You might not agree with everything, but it’s a great starting point.
Of course, with some businesses, the name doesn’t matter as much as others. If [...]

Certificate of Incorporation

The certificate of incorporation is an official certificate issued by the registrar of companies on successful incorporation of a limited company.  The certificate states the company number, name and date of incorporation.

The Role of the Company Secretary

Company secretaries do not have specific responsibilities or powers but they may be criminally liable for company defaults (such as late filing of returns and so on).  They are also allowed to sign most of the forms required by Companies House.
A company secretary usually performs the following tasks:

maintains the statutory registers (such as register of members, [...]

The Role of a Director

Every company director has a personal responsibility to make sure that the company files its statutory returns to Companies House on time.  Directors can be prosecuted if they fail to do this – and it’s a criminal offence, so if you are convicted, you will end up with a criminal record and possibly a hefty [...]

Who can form a company

Pretty much anyone can form a company.  It’s preferable to be over 18, but it’s not obligatory.  However, you cannot form a company if:

you have been disqualified from being a director (while the ban is in place).  Companies House holds a current register of disqualified directors. 
You are an undischarged bankrupt (except with the courts’ permission)

What do you need to set up a company

Essentially, before you begin, you need:

a company name, which can be almost any name that has not previously been registered.
a Director
a Company Secretary (which cannot be the sole director)
(or you could have two directors, one of whom could also act as Company Secretary)
a shareholder (which can be either the director or secretary)
a memorandum of association
articles [...]