Starting your own Ltd Company Part 1 - Registering with Companies House

So, you have decided to open your own company? You have already checked all other related or unrelated information and have decided that yes, it will definitely work, as you are that missing link in THAT type of business? Well, all of us, who do start their own company think the same way in the beginning. Friend of mine, Bob, advised me to create a blog or even a program with few simple guided instructions for dummies helping to save the limited amount of money new business people might have. I hope this will help you!

Before I start, I want to warn you that English is not my mother tongue and I am far from being a professional writer, so when living your comments, please be generous, as I will try to do my best.

To incorporate, or in simple words to register your new limited company is very easy to do, and it will cost you as little as £18.  

Choosing name for your company

To be 100% sure that you are following regulations and requirements of Companies House, you can read the following information http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/pdf/gp1.pdf .  There shouldn’t be any problems, if you will choose a “normal” name for your company.

Very important point to remember is to check if  the name you are choosing for your company is not yet registered with Companies House. You can do so by clicking the following: http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/a592777c6885c92e144d6f9698a5a29c/wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo

The following will appear:

If the name will be listed exactly the same, this means you cannot choose it:

 Type in the box of Company Name "British Gas" as above, the following will appear: 

Incorporating new Ltd Company

Now, you have checked the name you want to register your company under and the next step is to actually register it.

Click the following link: http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/companyRegistration.shtml

The following will appear:

 

Click the highlighted option. It will take you to the next page, which will look like this:

 Insert your existing (which can be your personal) email. Click on “No, I am new customer” and click continue. The next page will look like this:

 

Fill in your personal details. Press continue. 

After pressing continue the following will appear: 

 

Enter your new company name and select the end you wish it will end with. The end can be either full word LIMITED or just Ltd. 

Now, select location of the registered office: 

 

And fill in address where you wish your company to be registered at:

At the next page you will have to fill in details of the new company director(s):

Click appropriate box according to your circumstances: 

When it comes to fill in boxes of Consent Act, make sure that you fill in only in any 3 boxes with 3 characters only: 

For instance, if you choose to fill in the last 3 digits of your phone number, 3 letters of your mother maiden surname and 3 letters of your father’s name you do not touch any other boxes. 

On the next page, you will need just to confirm the details of newly registered director, or if you wish to add an additional director or secretary you click on appropriate button:

Otherwise, just click next. 

The next page will ask you about the shares of the company:

Please read note on the right hand side of this page (marked in red). The company may have only one director, but few shareholders. In that case you will have to select a class of share which is usually and most commonly an ordinary share. 

For instance, 10 people decide to open a limited company. They decided to make 1 on of them company's director, 1 person company's secretary and 8 people became simply company's shareholders. In that case, you insert 10 as a number in share box. 

Amount paid on each share: Please enter the amount that each shareholder/subscriber has paid for each share that they hold in this share class. If nothing has been paid please enter zero.

Amount (if any) unpaid on each share: Please enter the amount that each shareholder/subscriber owes for each share that they hold in this share class. If nothing is owed please enter zero.

Aggregate nominal value: This should be the number of shares multiplied by the nominal value of each share. A value up to 3 decimal places can be given. 

If you are happy with share, please click next. 

On the next page you will be asked to enter details of shareholder/subscriber: 

Subscriber Details: A subscriber is a person who subscribes to the memorandum of association. This is a document stating that each subscriber wishes to form a company under the Companies Act 2006 and that each subscriber agrees to be a member of the company and take at least one share in the company. The subscribers are the company's first members and shareholders. The company's memorandum of association is in the form prescribed by law and can be viewed on the summary information screen visible after all the necessary information has been entered.

A subscriber can be a person or a company or firm. Please select using the radio buttons and enter the appropriate information in the corresponding fields.

Click next. 

Select appropriate box relevant to your case. If you did company incorporation application on your own, select “all of the subscribers named in the application”. 

 

Tick Statement of Compliance and click next. Check the summary page and if happy proceed to the payment page. 

 

Now, in regards of payment, you can do it from any personal card. Note, that to open a business account for Limited company, you will have to have Company Registration Certificate, company utility bill and director's passport copy. Further information on how to open a bank account, you will find in other parts of my Blog. Well, it will depend if anyone will need it.