News

As part of our continued endeavours to make business and life simple for our customers (and ourselves) – we’re undertaking some research to get close to what’s really going on with our customers – and importantly, what’s NOT making business simple for them. As brilliant as we all are at interpreting how to make business […]

In the first part of our interview Lord Young gave his opinion on what makes a great entrepreneur and his most recent initiative, Start Up Loans – and how it has created opportunities for small businesses which did not exist before. In this week’s post Lord Young gives his views on the possibility of a tech […]

As a business owner it is important to know about wider issues – which may indirectly affect not just your venture but the business landscape in which you operate in. As a small business one of the most important skills that you will need to have is adaptability. Circumstances may never be totally ideal so […]

It has been just over a year since MadeSimple moved to the N1 postcode and we are loving life here so far. However, the surrounding area of comprising the Old Street roundabout and beyond is a fantastic and vibrant area that has seen a large growth of new companies over the last few years.

Encouraging figures have been released this week with regards to the overall rate of employment in the UK. This is of course great news but what affect does this have on SMEs and their overall recruitment strategy. Has this for example translated into greater pay which is widespread. This will of course be discussed later […]

This week saw a key and potentially transformative announcement that could significantly impact SMEs. This column has for a while highlighted the problems associated with business rates and the effect these have had on SMEs who use a non domestic property. A key announcement made by Chancellor George Osborne this week could change this system […]

There is great change afoot, with the Government making automatic enrolment for pensions compulsory for employers. It’s extremely important that businesses take note of this – not just because it’s a duty every company is required to fulfill, but because it will affect the way you run your business.

It was great see a mention of The Startup Tracker (powered by us) in The Guardian last week!

All of our company formation packages come with the option to open a Barclays Business Bank Account. On top of this, once an account has been successfully opened we’ll give you £50 cash back. How to form your company and arrange your meeting with Barclays 1. Search for your proposed company name and choose your […]

It’s not every day you get invited to visit Number 10 to talk ‘small business’ with senior advisors to the Prime Minister. So this week I was delighted to be selected by the team at Enterprise Nation who arranged the opportunity for 20 small business owners to get round a table (and a very prestigious […]

Emily Coltman FCA, Chief Accountant to FreeAgent – who provide an award-winning online accounting system for small businesses – explains what companies must send to HMRC and when. Registering the company HMRC are automatically notified when a company is formed at Companies House, so about three weeks after registering your new company, you will receive […]

It’s Glastonbury next week and as anybody who has graced the oft-soaked Somerset fields will tell you, it’s all about getting the right pitch. Well the same goes for your business (and that’s it with the tenuous Glastonbury link). Being able to confidently sell your business to others is a valuable skill that can take […]

To celebrate Father’s Day we thought we’d take a look at some British pioneers of business. “What’s that got to do with Father’s day?” you may ask. Well these are “The Daddies” of business… Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) & James Watt (1736- 1819) Let’s kick things off with a 2 for 1. Known for their Boulton […]

On Sunday, Old Trafford bade farewell to Sir Alex Ferguson, the charismatic Scotsman who has managed Manchester United for 26 years. This was the man who led United to 13 Premier League titles, 2 Champions League trophies and 5 FA Cups. The most successful manager in British football history. Now picture the scene. You’re sat […]

Companies House say it best: “A company is dormant if it has had no ‘significant accounting transactions’ during the accounting period. A significant accounting transaction is one which the company should enter in its accounting records. When determining whether a company is dormant you can disregard the following transactions: • payment for shares taken by […]

Not sure what a limited company term means? Take a look at our handy jargon buster. Accounting Reference Date: The period that annual accounts must cover up to. Annual Accounts: A report delivered to Companies House that details financial information about a company. Annual Returns: A report delivered to Companies House that comprises of up […]

The “made-up-to date” is a term associated with the annual return. It is the date that all information in the annual return must be correct up to. It is common practice to use one of the following as the made-up-to date: • the anniversary of incorporation • the made-up-to date of a previous annual return […]

Forming a company can be daunting. It needn’t be. We’ve created a free to download whitepaper called “The Facts: Forming a UK Limited Company” that covers everything you need to know about forming a company in the UK. The document includes director, secretary and shareholder information as well as a look at the legal obligations […]

A company completes a “SH01 Return of allotment of shares” document when it wishes to add new shares (the shareholder/s who are to receive these shares are not named until an annual return is filed). Once completed the document should be mailed to Companies House (no filing fee required). If your limited company is on […]

We’re delighted to announce the launch of Donations Made Simple, our very own charity initiative. What is Donations Made Simple? Donations Made Simple is a brand new website that gives you the opportunity to support some great causes whilst putting yourself in the running to win some fantastic prizes at the same time. Our first […]

Unfortunately registering a limited company does not automatically protect your trademark. This is because company law and trademark law are two completely different things. We recommend contacting the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for more information. You can visit their site here. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – […]

A short and sharp one today. If a company has made enough profit it is able to pay its shareholders a dividend. The dividend is the payment. Important Notes • A company should not pay dividends in excess of its available profits from the current and previous financial years • Dividends do not count as […]

Are you thinking of forming a limited company but unsure if a name is available? We can help. Company name availability can be a tricky topic what with all these “sensitive words and expressions” and “same as words”, it’s completely understandable if you’re not sure what can and can’t be done. So get in touch […]

Seeing as we’ve covered how many people are required to form a limited by shares company and a limited liability partnership, we should take a look at the appointments required to form a limited by guarantee company. To form a limited by guarantee company with Companies House you require a director and a guarantor. This […]

In today’s modern world, we are always looking for ways to make both working and personal life quicker, more efficient and, let’s face it, more fun.

The company secretary is now an optional appointment. However, if you would like to appoint one, here’s how to do it: If your company is on our company admin portal: Login > “My Companies” > Click on your company name > “Appoint New Secretary” > Enter the relevant information and select “Continue” The request is […]

Moving shares in a company from one person to another is a two-step process: 1. The person who is losing the shares must complete and sign a Stock Transfer Form (a template is available to download from the “Statutory Forms” area of your account). This details how many shares are being transferred and who they’re […]

Our Company Admin Portal is available free of charge to customers and non-customers alike. So what does this mean? By uploading your limited company (or companies) onto our system you are able to carry out multiple admin tasks for your limited company at no cost to you. The free admin tasks include: • Officer appointments […]

Anyone who purchases one of our company formation packages immediately qualifies for a free consultation with a TaxAssist Accountant local to them. How do your claim your free consultation? Easy. 1. Visit our dedicated TaxAssist Page 2. Enter your email address, name, phone number, post code and company name 3. Enter the CAPTCHA and select […]

After your limited company has been formed by us, the company documents become available to view and download from your account. This includes the Memorandum of Association – a basic document that details the company name and the subscriber name. To access the documents simply login, click on the relevant company name and then scroll […]

Once a limited company has been formed, Companies House will notify HMRC of the company’s incorporation. Roughly three weeks after the formation HMRC will mail a letter to the registered office explaining what the company needs to do next, in this letter you will find the “Unique Tax Reference” or “UTR”. If you do not […]

If your company is on our admin portal, you are able to make numerous changes to the company that are then reflected on the Companies House register.

Last Updated: 15/12/2014 If you purchase our Comprehensive or Ultimate company formation package we will prepare and file your company’s first annual return (AR01) with Companies House. We will do this roughly three weeks before the due date, once prepared we shall email you and request that you login and review the prepared annual return. Once […]

Companies House eReminders are an email notification system that let you know when a company’s annual return and annual account due date is approaching. If your company is on our company admin portal signing up is easy: • Login to Companies Made Simple • Click on the company name • Select “Quick Links” > “eReminders […]

We’ve joined forces with our friends at Enterprise Nation to launch a modern business club for real UK startups. Membership is just £20 per year and it includes over £500-worth of savings on things like our very own company credit report services as well as business cards, accounting software, web hosting and lots more. Enterprise […]

The Single Alternative Inspection Location (or SAIL) address is where the company registers and records are kept if they’re not at the registered office. Having a SAIL address is optional.

Sorry, we can longer offer HSBC Business Bank Accounts. All of our company formation packages include a Barclays and HSBC banking option. To select which banking option you would like to utilise (if any): • When purchasing your company formation package be sure to leave the banking option in the basket (you can remove it […]

We’ve given our “Ready Made Companies” page a fresh lick of paint, so fresh in fact that they’re now known as “Shelf Companies”. The new page displays available limited companies by the year that they were formed in. If you’re interested in purchasing a shelf company, here’s how the process works: • Select “Buy Now” […]

You do not need to notify Companies House if shareholders in your limited company change address. This is an internal filing matter that Companies House simply do not need to know about. They do however need to be notified if a director or secretary changes their service or residential address. This post was brought to […]

There are a number of options available when it comes to funding a business. These can be split into two categories; debt financing sources and equity financing sources.

With the Oscars almost upon us we thought we’d lazily link the world of movies with the world of business. So we asked our Twitter and Facebook fans for their favourite films about business. This is what we got back (with a few of our own chucked in too). The nominees are: Ghostbusters “Ghostbusters!” we […]

All limited companies set up via our company formation system are automatically allocated a Companies House webfiling authentication code. This means that if you form your company with us you can login to both our system and the Companies House webfiling system and make changes to the company. Changes include: • Director appointments, resignations and […]

Unfortunately our system only allows a company to be stored on one account at a time. Therefore if you wish for multiple people to have access to the company via the company admin portal you need to signup with an email address that multiple people have access to. Obviously you will then need to share […]

If you are signed up to our free Company Secretarial (or Cosec) system there are a number of options available to you that are not available to normal account holders. One of which is the ability to “Export to CSV” basic company information such as company due dates. This allows you save the file (and […]

The process for changing a shareholder’s name (in instances such as marriage) with Companies House is different from that of changing a director or secretary name. 

A limited company’s total aggregate value is the number of shares in the company multiplied by the value of each share. For example, a company with 10 shares worth £2 each would have a total aggregate value of £20. If the company has more than one share type, simply work out the total value of […]

Last Updated: 16/12/2014 A UK limited company has various filing obligations with both Companies House and HMRC. The Companies House obligations (annual returns and accounts) are easy to keep on top of as the due dates can be easily viewed from the Companies House webcheck (and our company admin portal). HMRC obligations are not so […]

If you have just formed a limited company with us, there are a number of company documents available for you to view and download from your company admin portal. Documents include: • Memorandum and Articles – select “Download” next to “Shareholders” • Certificate of Incorporation – select “View” under “My Company Documents” • Share Certificate/s […]

Our company admin portal has a field for your company’s “Nature of Business”. This field displays the company’s SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) code.

Our online admin portal keeps a record of all changes and updates made to your limited company (via the portal). This information can be found under the “Request History” heading on the company admin page. It includes the following: • Request type (ie Company Incorporation) • Status (ie Accepted or Rejected) • Date submitted • […]

Yes you can. Companies House allow limited companies to change their name for a fee (which depends on the filing method). There are a number of ways to change a company name: • Directly with Companies House via paper forms (NM01 document). • Directly with Companies House via their online filing system. • Via our […]

Unlike forming a limited company, when you start up as a sole trader you will not receive a company number or a certificate of incorporation. Instead HMRC will mail you a letter which will include your Unique Tax Reference (UTR). This should be delivered six weeks after submitting the application to become a sole trader. […]

The authorised share capital was abolished as part of the Companies Act 2006. However that’s not stopped us from being asked what this was. So here you go: Before the Companies Act 2006 a limited company could be formed without allocating all of its shares. So a company could be formed with an authorised share […]

This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – The Simplest Company Formation Service Keep up to date. Subscribe to our RSS

In this series of blog posts we are going to look at the different business structures available to the budding entrepreneur. And what better place to start than private companies limited by shares? Forming a private company limited by shares is often considered to add credibility to a business. Registration is processed by Companies House, […]

Our online LLP (Limited Liability Partnership) formation service allows you to simply form an LLP with Companies House in roughly 3 working hours. The company formation service now includes an LLP agreement that is emailed in word document format as soon as the company has been formed. For more information on the service and the […]

We’re absolutely delighted to announce the launch of our brand new white label service. So… What is the White Label Service? It’s the kit to become a company formation agent. Ideal for accountants and other professionals who wish to earn money by electronically forming limited companies for their clients. Once signed up (it’s free!) you […]

Our limited company admin portal is a fantastic resource for anyone who takes care of admin for limited companies. Duties such as appointments, resignations, registered office updates and much, much more can all be carried out via the online portal for free. Everyone who forms a limited company with us is automatically signed up on […]

The company dissolution is a process of closing your limited company and removing it from the Companies House register of active limited companies. Companies House will not accept a dissolution request for your company if: • The dissolution document (DS01) has not been signed by the majority of directors • If the company has traded […]

The subscriber is the person (or company) who was shareholder at the time of company incorporation. The reason for this terminology is so that Companies House know who the original shareholders were. Even if an original shareholder were to transfer their shares elsewhere, they would always remain a subscriber. This post was brought to you […]

If you need to amend the shareholder address on an existing share certificate: • Login to your Companies Made Simple account • Select “My Companies” • Select the relevant company • Select “Sync Data with Companies House” • Next to “Shareholders” select “Download” – enter the new address and hit “Submit” • Select “Download” again. […]

We provide share certificates for existing and new shareholders alike. For existing shareholders simply login to your account, access “My Companies” and select your company name. Scroll down to the “Shareholders” section and select “Download”, you will either be presented with an online version of the certificate straight away or you will have to enter […]

Our company formation process completely does away with paper documentation. All you need is a computer, an internet connection, means to make payment and your company information. There’s no need for paper, a pen or a signature. It really is all online. Once your application has been submitted to Companies House, a process which shouldn’t […]

All of our company formation packages include a Barclays business bank account service. So how does it work? Just before you start the company formation process, we request that you fill out a quick online document with your contact details. Once the company has been formed Barclays will be in touch to arrange a meeting […]

On Friday we posted a piece entitled “Limited and Ltd: What suffix to use?” What the post didn’t touch on was what the term “Limited” actually means (in a company sense). So what better time than now to explore the definition? Here goes. In a limited company the liability of the shareholders is, you guessed […]

We’re delighted that we can offer an online company name change service that can see a name change take place within 3 working hours. Unfortunately there are instances when the online version of this service can’t be used and we must revert back to the paper method, therefore increasing the turnaround time to roughly five […]

To add new shares to a limited company you need to file the “SHO1-Return of allotment of shares” document with Companies House (this can be filed via paper of via our online admin portal). Companies House do not request the name/s of who is to receive these shares at this stage (shares can be given […]

It’s Movember again and our team are getting fuzzier by the day. Well some of them are. This year, as well as our usual Mo efforts, we’re also inviting fellow ‘tache growers to join our team. At the end of the month we’re going to give a men’s grooming kit to the grower of the […]

Social media is big business these days, and it seems that everyone from your local dentist to your neighbourhood coffee shop has a social media profile that they want you to like or follow! If you want to stand out from the crowd and really make an impression with your social media campaign, why not […]

When you make a change to your limited company via our online admin portal, we’ll automatically draft the minutes for the change. To access these minutes: • Login • Select “My Companies” • Click on the company name • Scroll to the “Request History” area • Click “View” in the “Minutes” column This post was […]

Good question. The Web Filing Authentication code is a 6 character long (a mix of letters and digits) code issued by Companies House. Without this code you can not complete any online admin for your limited company (either through us or directly with Companies House). All limited companies formed by us are automatically allocated a […]

The SIC code (Standard Industrial Classification code) is used to define your limited company’s industry of trade. You notify Companies House of this code when you file an annual return. If you wanted to change this code from one entered in a previous annual return the only way to do this is to file another […]

The minimum age for a director of a UK Limited Company is 16 years old. That’s 5843.88 days or 140253 hours. If you are forming your limited company with us our system will automatically not allow the appointment of any director under 16. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made […]

There’s some exciting stuff happening on our Social Media channels at the moment (when our Facebook fan total reaches 300 we’re going to give away a Kindle!), the latest of which is the re-launch of our LinkedIn page. We’d love for you to take a look at the page and let us know what you […]

As well as being able to form Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP’s) via our online system (extremely simple and quick with formations taking an average of just 3 working hours, click here for more info: LLP Formation) you can also upload and manage previously formed LLP’s onto our admin portal. This is completely free to do […]

Our Company Secretarial System now allows all users to toggle their settings so that only “Active” limited companies appear on their display. This removes all dissolved companies. To do this tick the “Display active companies only” box (as per the below image) to show only existing companies and un-tick to show all companies. Our Cosec […]

Look at the bottom of this page, go on, look. That “Leave a Reply” option you see is brand new and we want you to use it. When you have something you want to say regarding a particular blog simply put your thoughts in that box and hit “Post Comment”. It doesn’t matter if it’s […]

Our Facebook activity to date has been shoddy. Tweets rehashed as updates. Content for the sake of content. Social Media for Social Media’s sake. So what are we going to do about it? Well first off, we don’t want this page to be about us, we want it to be about you. We want to […]

If you use our online admin portal to make changes to your limited company or to file an annual return, our system keeps track of these changes (and annual returns) and allows you to view exactly what was filed with Companies House. To view this information: • Login • Select your company name from “My […]

To enter a Share Transfer when using our DIY Annual Return Service do as follows: • In the “Shareholdings” area of the return, click “edit” next to the shareholder who you are removing shares from. Enter the amount of shares they now hold. • Select “add new transfer” next to the same shareholder, enter the […]

Companies House no longer require Shareholder address information. However, if a previously supplied Shareholder address has since changed and you want to let Companies House know (again, not really required), you can change the Shareholder address by filing an annual return. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – […]

If you sign up for Companies House eReminders, you’ll receive emails whenever your company’s annual return or annual account due dates approach. You can sign up for this handy tool via our very own company admin portal. To sign up for eReminders: • Once logged into Companies Made Simple select your chosen company from “My […]

If you would like for us to remove a company from your account, be it because it’s dissolved or simply nothing to do with you anymore, simply email your request and we’ll take care of the rest. It’s as easy as that! This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple […]

The Made Simple Group believes in keeping things simple – hence the name! That focus has helped us grow from a handful of staff in 2001, offering a few services, to the range of services we provide today. In that time, Companies Made Simple has helped form over 250,000 companies and our simple solutions for […]

He made it! Last week we told you that Humphrey Gervais was bracing himself for the steep climb up the Mweka Route towards Mt Kilimajaro’s 5,896 metre (19,162 ft) summit. We are delighted to tell you that despite the cold and thin air, Humphrey reached the summit early yesterday and is safely back at base […]

Last month we told you about our friend Humphrey Gervais’s attempt to raise £6,000 for Macmillan Cancer by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The latest news winging its way from Africa’s highest mountain is that Humphrey is still going strong, as you can see from his bulletins: “0106 hrs Wed In bed. Freezing outside but silk liner […]

Yes they do. Even if the residential address is different from the service address, the limited company director is still required to notify Companies House of a change in their residential address. To do this either file the CH01 form with Companies House or: • Access “My Companies” from Companies Made Simple • Click on the […]

Last Updated: 15/12/2014 If you have a service with us that requires a renewal, here’s the page to do it: Renewal Fees From here you can renew the following services: • Registered Office • Privacy Package • Comprehensive / Ultimate Package • Annual Return • Nominee Secretary • Nominee Shareholder • Service Address • Company Maintenance Subscription […]

If there is one thing we admire at the Made Simple Group, it is people who are not afraid to ‘have a go’. That is why we are supporting Humphrey Gervais in his bid to climb Africa’s highest mountain and raise £6,000 for charity. Humphrey won’t mind us saying that he is a lot closer […]

Yes you can. You can form a limited company with just one person acting as a director, secretary and shareholder. The director and shareholder appointments are compulsory, the secretary appointment is optional. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – The Simplest Company Formation Service Keep up to date. […]

Last Updated: 15/12/2014 If you need to form a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) you’ve come to the right place. Our LLP formation service provides you with a completely online formation service for just £59.99. And because it is a completely online process, you can form your company within just 3 working hours. What’s more we […]

From small seeds grow great things and that’s certainly the thinking behind The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). The scheme, brought in place by the Finance Act 2012, shall provide tax breaks for investors in new companies therefore encouraging investment in UK business. Under SEIS investors can receive 50 per cent tax relief, a huge […]

Companies House say that there is no limit in regards to the amount of shares that you can allocate in your limited company. On top of this, there is also no limit upon the value of these shares. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – The Simplest Company […]

Last Updated: 15/12/2014 As well as setting up brand new limited companies we also have a number of companies formed for the purpose of selling on at a later date as “Shelf” companies. Below you will find some information regarding these companies: • They are all UK (England & Wales) Private Companies Limited by Shares […]

No! Forming a UK Limited Company is not restricted to UK nationals. You can be from anywhere in the world! This goes for Directors, Secretaries and Shareholders. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – The Simplest Company Formation Service Keep up to date. Subscribe to our RSS

In fact it’s very simple! To change your accounting reference date (ARD) via our online admin portal: • Login at Companies Made Simple • Click the “My Companies” button • Select the company for whom you wish to change the ARD for • Next to “Accounting Reference Date” select “Change Date” • Select the accounting […]

If you are browsing Companies Made Simple and have any questions regarding any of our services, simply click the orange speech bubble on the bottom-right of the screen. From here you can start a dialogue with one of our advisors completely online. It’s fast, efficient and simple! This post was brought to you by Mathew […]

Everyone who forms a limited company with us gains access to numerous forms and documents accessible from their account dashboard. Forms and documents include the J30 Stock Transfer Form, the First Board Meeting Minutes and the Share Certificate Template to mention just a few. To locate the forms simply login to Companies Made Simple and […]

We’re delighted to announce that we have now formed over 250,000 Limited Companies! We are extremely proud of this landmark (a quarter of a million!) and wish to thank all of our customers for helping us reach this mammoth figure! This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – The […]

The Made Simple Group is proud to once again be sponsoring the Startups Awards – Howard Graham, CEO and founder of The Made Simple Group will also be judging the awards. There are 14 categories – from ‘Startups Business of the Year’ through to ‘Home or Craft-based Business of the Year’. Become a contender, enter […]

When we inform our customers of impending due dates for their limited company, this is the response we’re often met with. Unfortunately it is a misleading statement. If HMRC have said (or written) that nothing is required of a dormant company it is simply to do with HMRC filing obligations and not Companies House filing […]

Last Updated: 29/10/2014 If you have any question regarding forming or running a limited company, take a look at the Knowledgebase. We’re confident that you will find the answer. The Knowledgebase is a hub of limited company information that we’ve collected over the years taken primarily from the different questions we are asked by our […]

Despite the current economic climate there are still plenty of opportunities to help new businesses thrive. There are also schemes to help encourage and develop new businesses, one of which is StartUp Loans. A collaboration between StartUp Britain and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, StartUp Loans is a government backed project aimed at […]

Last Updated: 25/09/2014 If you are signed up to our ICAEW accredited Company Secretarial System (it’s free to sign up to and free to use), you can choose how you view your limited companies. Once logged in simply click the arrows next to “Company Name” to sort by alphabetical order, “Company No.” to sort by […]

Last Updated: 25/09/2014 It’s not just UK limited companies that we form; we can also help with the formation of a number of offshore companies. We can set up companies in the following locations: • Anguilla • Belize • Seychelles For more information on our offshore company formation services click here: Offshore Company Formations This […]

Last Updated: 17/09/2014 All of our company formation packages include the £13 Companies House incorporation fee in the quoted price. We do not charge VAT on this £13. This is why the VAT on our company formation packages may appear to be incorrect, when in fact it is totally correct: Company Formation Package + VAT […]

The Business Show is now just 4 weeks away and a must-attend event if you are starting or growing a business. Running from the 17th to 18th of May at London’s ExCeL Centre, the show will host the UK’s biggest collection of educational seminars from business leaders and experts, including Amazon, Saatchi and Saatchi, James […]

Last Updated: 17/09/2014 Our DIY Annual Return Service allows you to show share transfers that have taken place during the year. To reflect a share change in the DIY Annual Return Service (having purchased the service) simply: • Proceed with completing the return until you reach the “Shareholdings” section • Click “edit” next to any […]

What our customers think of us and our services is extremely important. That’s why we’ve a page dedicated to showing exactly this, our “Customer Satisfaction Statistics” page. The page highlights three particular areas: • How customers rate our company formation services • How customers rate the quality of our products and services • Would customers […]

Over 2000 businesses participated in our “How Online Savvy Are British Businesses?” survey that we launched in January. Obviously we were delighted with the response. Well we’re now equally delighted that we can announce the results of the survey and it’s compelling reading. Did you know, for example, 23% of businesses in the UK do […]

Our ICAEW accredited Company Secretarial System is designed for customers who administer and/or form numerous limited companies. It’s completely free to sign up to and boasts numerous features, one of which is the “My Credit” option. “My Credit” means that once logged in you have the facility to add an amount of credit of your […]

Last Updated: 17/09/2014 Because we now form Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP’s) online, the company formation process is reduced to an average of just three working hours. This is in comparison to the five day turnaround time of using paper documents. For just £59.99 we provide you with: • 3 hour Online Formation • Draft LLP Agreement […]

If you have our Registered Office Service, or are thinking of purchasing the Registered Office Service, it’s important that you know what mail we will forward onto you. 

Our Knowledgebase facility is an ever-growing database designed to help you with any questions you may have to do with forming and running a UK limited company. The Knowledgebase comprises of the most common questions that we receive and the best possible answers to them. The database currently covers topics such as “Limited Companies”, “Manage […]

We’re a selfless lot here at The Made Simple Group, constantly putting our bodies on the line all in the name of charity. Last year it was the 3 Peaks Challenge for Bliss; this year it’s the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile. Our participants this year, CEO Howard Graham and Office Manager Richard D’Silva, are both […]

If you’re on Companies Made Simple and have a question regarding our company formations or any of our other services, try using our “Live Chat” facility. Live chat means that you can have an online conversation with a member of our team whilst sat in front of your computer. Simply click “Live Chat” (located at […]

Last Updated: 17/09/2014 Well here’s an easy one. When it comes to setting up and running a UK Limited Company, the Secretary appointment is completely optional. If you want a Secretary you can have one, if you don’t want one, you don’t have to. If you are forming your company with just one person you […]

When you purchase a service (or even just start an account!) with us we provide you with a wealth of free statutory forms and templates. Simply login and from the dashboard click “Statutory Forms”, you’ll then have access to forms/templates such as: • J30 Stock Transfer Form • First Board Meeting Minutes • Automatic Board […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  Adding new shares to your limited company and letting Companies House know about the new shareholding situation is a two-step process: 1. Adding the new Shares To add new shares you can complete the Return of allotment of shares (SH01) form and file it with Companies House. Alternatively you can complete and […]

When it comes to company formations, we offer two different address services: • The Registered Office Service • The Service Address Service Our Registered Office service allows you to use our address (20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU) as your company’s official address with Companies House. Any mail from HMRC or Companies House that comes […]

We’ve added a brand new facility for anyone who has any questions regarding our different services, the Knowledgebase. The Knowledgebase is a hub of common questions and answers that we’re constantly developing. So far we’ve answered numerous questions that come under the following categories: • Manage my company • Our Services & Products • Renewals […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  Once you have formed your limited company with us, the last thing we want is for you to miss your annual return and annual account due dates. That’s why we’ve integrated our Companies House eReminders service into our company formation process, therefore allowing you to sign up for the free service at […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  Now that we offer online Limited Liability Partnership company formations (formed within just 3 working hours!), we thought it a good idea to break down the basic information required from you to form an LLP. So, here goes: • A Company Name • A Registered Office • Information for at least two […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  Our Sole Trader Start Up Packs now include a free TaxAssist Accountancy Consultation! After purchasing either of our Sole Trader Start Up Packs you will be directed to your “Downloads” page, from here simply select “Apply Now” next to the “TaxAssist Accountancy Consultation”. Enter your details and TaxAssist will be in contact […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  We have added a brand new Limited by Guarantee Company Formation Package to our current Company Formation services. The £59 “Private Company Limited by Guarantee” service gives you the option to form a Limited by Guarantee Company and to use your own (or an address you have permission to use) Registered Office. […]

Yes, yes, we’re always banging on about Annual Returns and Annual Accounts, but for good reason. Missing your Annual Return due date will result in threatening letters from Companies House which may result in a fine and ultimately being struck off whilst filing your Annual Accounts late will definitely result in a fine.

Many people are confusing their accounting reference date with their accounts due date or assuming that they are the same thing. They’re not! The Accounting Reference Date: The date which accounts must be made up to. Annual Accounts Due Date: The date that accounts must be delivered by (Companies House will issue a fine for […]

We’ve just launched the latest Companies Made Simple Survey; How Online Savvy Are British Businesses? The survey takes roughly three minutes to complete and all participants will receive: • Free Microsoft e-book “small business solutions” • Free Huddlebuy Marketing Bundle As well as being entered into a prize draw to win • an iPad2 • […]

It’s great to see so many of you using the different Social Media channels to contact us, but we want more! If you’ve a quick question regarding any of our services why not reach for your mouse and contact us online? We pride ourselves on our speedy response times, so next time you’ve a question […]

We have just added ten new limited companies to our list of available “shelf” companies. All formed on the 26th of January, the new companies are: TREADTHROUGH LTD TWINT LTD MINTEDMIND LTD SLASHTECH LTD SUNDIAL STRATEGIC LTD IMPERATIVE FUSION LTD DATA EXCERPTS LTD FUTURES ADVANCED LTD FUNDER ROAD LTD TIME TO GO UN LTD For […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  We’re delighted to announce that our FREE domain name with Namesco offer has been opened up to all our Company Registration Packages. Previously the offer was included in everything but the Printed Package but being the generous types, we’ve made the offer available to all packages (UK Limited by Share packages). For more […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  We know that forming a company, whilst extremely simple (when using us!), is a big step. That’s why we have pages dedicated to providing you with answers to any questions or concerns you have about starting a limited company. • The Facts A one-stop-shop for all things UK limited company. If you […]

Forming a limited company is a big step. That’s why when you decide to go through with the formation you need to know that you’re doing it with the right people. It’s precisely for this reason that dotted about our site you’ll find different pages dedicated to showing why we’re the best company formation agent […]

If you administer numerous UK limited companies, then our free ICAEW (The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) accredited company secretarial system is ideal. The system allows you to carry out numerous admin tasks for your limited companies, one of which is changing the accounting reference date with Companies House. To do this […]

We’re delighted to announce that The Made Simple Group will be at the Business2012 exhibition taking place from the 18th-20th March at the 02 in London. We will be represented at the event in two capacities: •    Our CEO Howard Graham is a Keynote speaker alongside such names as Sir Richard Branson and Lord Sugar. […]

Towards the end of November we blogged about the importance of checking your emails after making a purchase with us (action is often required post-purchase, we will email if anything is required on your part). The intention of today’s post is just to add an extra point to this; the importance of checking junk mail. […]

If you manage numerous Limited Companies and are fed up of logging in and out of Companies House Webfiling to make updates for your different companies, we have a solution for you. Our free ICAEW (The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) Accredited Company Secretarial System allows you to carry out admin for […]

Gone are the days of filling out paper forms for Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) formations! We now offer an online facility which not only simplifies the formation process but also speeds it up (the company is normally formed within three working hours). As part of the move from paper to online, we’ve also been able […]

Last Updated: 16/09/2014  As well as being able to form Limited Liability Partnerships online with us, you can also make changes to your LLP post company formation with us. By logging into your company admin portal you can change your LLP’s Registered Office, appoint and resign members as well as being able to edit current […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 Adding new shares to your UK Limited Company post company formation can be done through our online admin portal and what’s more, it’s very simple. To do this: • Login at Companies Made Simple • Select “My Companies” • Click on the relevant company name • Next to “Share Capital” select “Return […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 As posted last week, we can now form Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) online as one of our online company formation services. To form an LLP (once the service has been purchased): • From “My Companies” click on “Change your LLP company name” • Click “change company name” and enter your chosen company […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 We’re delighted to announce that you can now sign your limited company up for filing date eReminders via the Companies Made Simple company admin portal. The eReminders service means that, rather than receive paper reminder letters when annual return and annual account due dates approach, you will receive emails. To sign your […]

Our Limited Company Director infographic draws a profile of company directors appointed between January 2009 and September 2011: You can also view the infographic on visual.ly and as a pdf. If you would like to view the report from which we created the infographic click here. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken […]

With us now in the midst of the festive season and a New Year approaching, we thought it a great time to catch up with our Small Business of the Year 2010 winner, SweetBar Ltd. SweetBar specialise in providing pic’n’mix sweets at special occasions and events with their traditional sweet cart. And with all the […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 When you login to your cosec account, the dashboard is the first page you will see. From here, you have a number of actions you can take. 1)    Your Action is Required Under this header, you will see any companies that have outstanding actions. This includes companies that are not yet formed […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 As the New Year approaches, it’s out with the old and in with the new at Companies Made Simple. We‘re delighted to announce that we can now form Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP’s) online in just three working hours. This is opposed to the old paper forms that were both time consuming and […]

Every month we send out a newswire via email that includes news, company formation information, other service information and much, much more. We store all of these newswires on the Newswire & Competition Winners Page, so if you’ve missed an edition, don’t worry, you can visit the page and read them all! The Newswire & […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 We have a number of limited companies set up for the sole purpose of selling on at a later date. We call these our “Shelf Companies”. When you buy one of our Shelf Companies we will: • Resign the current appointments • Appoint your requested appointments • Update the Registered Office to your requested […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 If you completed the company formation process with us then you have access to our online company admin portal. As well as being able to carry out limited company admin duties such as officer appointments, address updates and annual returns (to mention but a few) you can also view basic company information […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 As well as offering a Registered Office service we also offer a Service Address service. The Service Address is the official address for a company director. With our service you can use our N1 address rather than your own address which goes some way in protecting your personal address from the public register. […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 If you’ve got a question regarding company formations or anything related to formations take a look at our new Knowledgebase. The page is a fantastic resource designed to assist you with any questions you have in regards to Companies Made Simple and the different services that we offer. From the Knowledgebase you […]

As we move into the season of “ho ho ho” let’s not forget the “mo mo mo”. That’s right, Movember is coming to an end but don’t worry, it’s not too late to donate to the Made Simple Group team who have been growing their taches since the beginning of the month. In a few […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 If you have just bought a service from us, be sure to check your email account. A number of our services require action on your part after purchase; if action is required we will send detailed instructions to you via email. Services that require action include (to mention just a few): • […]

The latest batch of reviews have been uploaded to our Reviews & Testimonials page. As per normal, for full transparency we have posted both positive and negative reviews. You’ll also notice that where we’ve seen fit, we’ve commented on reviews. All Companies Made Simple customers are given the option to write a review once they […]

We’re now in the business end of Movember, but don’t worry; it’s not too late to donate to the Made Simple Group’s Movember team! Richard and I have been growing our ‘taches since the beginning of the month to differing degrees of success. Richard’s is fully fledged in all its Super Mario glory whilst mine […]

We’ve created a brand new page designed to show exactly how our limited company formation service compares to that of Companies House Direct (Business Link). Highlighting areas such as; price, customer support, speed, banking services, management portals and supporting document options, it’s Companies Made Simple who comes out on top. View the “How We Compare” […]

Our FREE to use ICAEW Accredited Cosec System offers a number of facilities designed to assist anyone who administers numerous limited companies. One such facility is the Dividend section. We’ve now updated this area of the Company Secretarial system so that it’s even more efficient. We know it can be quite time consuming to enter […]

This month we are focusing on the offshore market for companies. With world economies being in apparent meltdown, there are still many reasons why individuals and entities from many countries choose a particular jurisdiction to locate their commercial operations. One country that has particularly suffered from the Eurozone crisis, but is still a highly attractive […]

We have partnered up with premier domain name provider Namesco to offer Companies Made Simple customers an outstanding domain name deal. If you form a UK Limited Company with us we will provide you with a unique discount code that gets you one free .co.uk domain name registration for two years. Shortly after company formation […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 This is one of our customer’s most common concerns, but it needn’t be. The Companies House status “Active” does not mean that the limited company is trading; it just means that the company is “live” and not in liquidation or being struck off. Tomorrow we shall look at how to let Companies […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 Once you have formed your Limited Company with us, we will automatically set your company up on our free Online Admin Portal. From here you can carry out various admin duties on your Limited Company such as: • Appoint Directors • Resign Directors • Appoint Secretaries • Resign Secretaries • Update Director […]

We offer a number of company formation packages: Basic, Printed, Privacy, Comprehensive and Ultimate. Every one of our UK Limited by Share Company packages includes: • 3 Hours Online Formation • Fast-Track Barclays Bank Account • Digital Certificate of Incorporation • Digital Memorandum and Articles • Use of our Online Admin Portal • Accountancy and Tax Consultation […]

There appears to be some confusion surrounding SIC codes when preparing the annual return. The SIC code, or UK Standard Industrial Classification Code, is a number that classifies principal business activity for a UK limited company. Confusion has arisen because Companies House have introduced a new set of 5 digit SIC codes as well as […]

Another day, another exciting partnership to announce! We can now offer Companies Made Simple customers a free 60 day trial with KashFlow, providers of online “Accounting Software for Small & Medium Size Businesses”. Once the trial period is up we can offer a special price of £14.99 per month. For more information, or to sign-up […]

Last Updated: 12/09/2014 Companies Made Simple are delighted to announce a brand new partnership with premier domain name provider, Names.co.uk. Forming a limited company and registering a domain name go hand in hand, especially today when online business is so important. A free .co.uk domain name is included as part of all our company registration packages. For more […]

We’ve some exciting news (well to us at least) regarding limited company share certificates and our online admin portal. Our system now automatically creates share certificates when a shareholder change has taken place (via the annual return). Even if your company wasn’t formed by us but has been imported onto our system, we’ll still create […]

Last Updated: 11/09/2014 Once your limited company has been formed it’s totally normal for the share situation in your company to change. That’s why we offer a number of different share services: • Confirmation of Shareholding at Incorporation (£9.99) A letter-headed document confirming the shareholding situation at the time of incorporation • Issue of Shares […]

Last Updated: 11/09/2014 We are now offering three fantastic opportunities for anyone who is looking to become an affiliate of Companies Made Simple. 1.    White Label Company Formation Simply embed our Company Name Search coding onto your site and earn 10% commission on every customer who forms a company (10% of the the value of […]

We’re absolutely delighted to announce that Companies Made Simple is now the approved company formation partner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. This relationship is a testament to our formation services and procedures that have formed over 250,000 companies in the UK. For more information on this fantastic news click here. […]

It comes down to that age old saying: ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’ So are you prepared to face any disruption that could potentially harm your business? If there is one thing that many businesses will have learnt from last month’s riots in London and across the UK, an effective recovery […]

Last Updated: 11/09/2014 Amongst many other things, our ICAEW accredited cosec (Company Secretarial) system allows you to form Limited Companies. To purchase one of our cosec formation packages: 1. Login 2. Select the “Form a Company” tab 3. Enter the proposed company name 4. Choose a formation package 5. Make payment (or pay on account) […]

We’re delighted to announce that our Company Name Search Application is now available on the Andoid Market! This means you can now search the availability of your proposed Limited Company name whilst on the move with both the iPhone and Android Devices. For more information on the FREE app, or to download the app, click […]

Last Updated: 11/09/2014 Our Online Admin Portal is an excellent tool when it comes to administering Limited Companies. With the Portal you can make appointments, complete resignations, change appointee information, update the registered office, change the accounting reference date, file a return of allotments of shares and file an annual return (for a small fee). […]

Did you know that Companies Made Simple provide Company Secretarial Management Software and what’s more, it’s the only software of its type accredited by ICAEW? The system is ideal for all ICAEW members who administer numerous Limited Companies. Via the system you can: • Appoint/Resign Directors • Appoint /Resign Secretaries • Change Director/Secretary information • […]

Last Updated: 11/09/2014 If a director of your Limited Company changes their name (marriage etc), changing the name with Companies House on the Companies Made Simple portal is extremely simple: 1. Login 2. Select “My Companies” & choose the relevant Limited Company 3. Select “Edit” next to the Director whose name you wish to change […]

On Tuesday Made Simple Group team members Beth and Mark volunteered to join the clean-up operation following the aftermath of the London Riots the night before. Below is their account of the day. On Tuesday, Beth and I joined the hundreds of Londoners taking to the streets in a heroic attempt to clean up the […]

Yes, we’ve mentioned it before but something this useful is worth shouting about. Our Sole Trader v Limited Company calculator tells you if you’re better off as a sole trader or as a Limited Company. All you have to do is enter your predicted annual profits and we’ll do the rest. Try the calculator out […]

Sorry, we can no longer offer a HSBC Business Bank Account. If you are using our White Label Company Formation Service on your website, you can now enable and disable the HSBC banking option. To do this: 1. Login at our Affiliate Site 2. Select “White Label” 3. On the left-hand side of the screen […]

Companies Made Simple has launched a site dedicated to affiliate marketing opportunities! Our Affiliate Marketing Made Simple page outlines the various affiliate opportunities currently available, including: • White Label Company Formation • Sole Trader vs. Limited Company “widget” • Affiliate Links Over the coming weeks we’ll go into much more detail in regards to these […]

The government has recently announced that it plans to cut 160 burdensome regulations as part of the ‘Red Tape Challenge’. Following the launch of the Red Tape Challenge website, businesses are invited to share their opinions and views on the rules and regulations that they deem difficult or redundant, eventually resulting in a break down […]

The team at the Made Simple Group recently got together with James Bland, owner of SweetBar, to congratulate him on being our Small Business of the Year 2010 winner and to have a quick chat with him about his business.

The third in our “All you need to know” video series has just been uploaded to our YouTube Channel. Titled “All you need to know about… The Certificate of Incorporation” the video sees myself (so be kind!) talk about the Limited Company Certificate of Incorporation. View the video here: “All you need to know about… […]

Last month we announced SweetBar as our Small Business of the Year winner for 2010. The team at Companies Made Simple were delighted to welcome James Bland, owner of SweetBar, at our offices for a quick chat and to award him his fantastic prizes! He is now the proud owner of a beautiful glass trophy […]

Our ICAEW accredited Company Secretarial System has a number of features designed to make your life easier. In this series of posts we intend to highlight different areas of the system and explain how to use the features. In this post we shall look at the “My Details” area. When you login for the cosec […]

On Friday the 27th of May, four members of The Made Simple Group set off from London to take part in the BNI Three Peaks Challenge in aid of the baby charity Bliss. The challenge would see members of the team conquer Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden – taking them to Scotland, back to […]

Regular readers of our blog will be aware of our “All you need to know about” series of microsites (example “All you need to know about… Dormant Company Accounts”). We’ve now taken the same idea, but transferred it to videos. The first video concentrates on the Registered Office and is aptly titled “All you need […]

The equipment has been bought, the van has been booked and the route has been mapped. Our 3 Peaks Challenge Team are raring to go. England, Scoland and Wales beware – the Made Simple Group is coming to tackle your highest peaks! It’s not too late to donate, remember all proceeds go to Bliss, simply […]

Earlier in the month we told you about our delight at having the only company secretarial system with an ICAEW (The Institute of Chartered Accountants) accreditation. Now, with the accreditation under our belt, we’re going to concentrate on explaining different parts of the cosec system. Today we shall look at importing companies. Our cosec system […]

A new video has been posted to our YouTube channel! “3 Peaks Challenge – update”, is, funnily enough, an update on our 3 Peaks Team’s progress as they ready themselves for Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike. To view the video click here. To sponsor our team (all proceeds go to charity Bliss) click here. […]

We’re now offering a FREE 4 week trial on icomplete.com’s fantastic CRM system (customer relationship management). The award-winning (Dell Small Business Excellence Award) bespoke database allows you to store all types of communication and then associate it with a contact. You can also send fax, sms messages and emails directly from the system. The software […]

Over the last few months our design team have been hard at work redesigning Company Searches Made Simple. We’re absolutely delighted with their work and can’t wait for you to see the results. The site has been rebuilt from the ground up and will provide superior functionality to that currently on offer. If all goes […]

3 weeks to go and 3 Peaks to conquer, our team are in the midst of a training regime that would make Rocky weep. No Easter Eggs this year for our brave adventurers, they’re on a diet of raw eggs and protein shakes. Charlene, Gavin, Stan and Richard (The driver!) are starting in Scotland where […]

After you have formed your limited company the logical next step is to start selling your product. This is why we’ve teamed up with Amazon. Signing up on Amazon Marketplace allows our customers, new and old, the opportunity to sell their products on Amazon to 130 Million potential customers For more information click here. This […]

On Tuesday we told you about the launch of our latest in the “All you need to know” series, that particular one concentrating on Registering a Business Name. Well in the typical Made Simple Group speedy fashion, we’ve just launched another! Limited Companies for Sale takes a look at the procedures for buying existing limited […]

In preparation for next months 3 Peaks Challenge our brave MSG team have started a rigorous training regime. It’s bye-bye to the Krispy Kreme’s and hello to the treadmill. Over the next few weeks we’ll be using our YouTube Channel to bring you the latest on our efforts to raise money for Bliss. You can […]

The latest in our “All you need to know about” series has just gone live. “All you need to know about Registering a Business Name” is your one-stop guide to registering a business or company in the UK and can be found at Registering a Business Name. Previous entries in the series can be found […]

As part of madesimplegroup.com’s “freshen-up” we’ve added a brand new page dedicated entirely to job opportunities at The Made Simple Group. The page will be updated whenever a new job becomes available so if you or anyone you know is interested in joining our team in Farringdon this should be your first port of call. […]

As part of our drive in social media, we’ve created a YouTube channel for all things Made Simple Group: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMadeSimpleGroup Our aim over the next few weeks is to upload as many videos possible relevant to our various services. So far we have a grand total of 9 videos spread across 3 “playlists”: • Companies […]

NEWS: Companies Made Simple offers customers a ‘simple’ way to donate to charity. Matching donations pound for pound to raise money for the charity Bliss via the ‘Three Peaks in 24 hours’ challenge. DETAIL: Companies Made Simple has added an optional 20p donation to their online basket, with a commitment to match funds, pound for […]

Last week we told you about the 3 Peaks Challenge and our efforts to raise £3000 for charity Bliss. Well this week we’ve got an exciting update! We’ve added 20p to the baskets of customers at www.companiesmadesimple.com. This means that whenever a purchase is made we’ve given our customers the option to donate 20p to […]

With an increasingly competitive marketplace along with an unstable economic climate, many established companies have looked to research to ensure they are meeting their client needs, this often takes the form of client questionnaires. Research can now be done in a cost effective way thanks to free or almost free online survey tools. Due to […]

Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to announce the “StartUp Britain” scheme to encourage the formation of new businesses across the country imminently. The initiative will be sponsored by a number of firms including 02, Google and Virgin Media. Cameron has said “If you’re dreaming about starting up the next great British brand, now is […]

At The Made Simple Group, we love feedback. That’s why we’ve added a “feedback tag” to all the pages on www.companiesmadesimple.com. If something about a specific page bugs you, or you just want to say how great we are, simply click the tag and write down what you want. Of course this is completely anonymous. […]

The Made Simple Group has put together a team to take part in the BNI 3 Peaks Challenge. Taking place over the 28th and 29th of May, the challenge will see our team attempt to conquer the three tallest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales within 24 hours, all in aid of charity Bliss – […]

In our continuous bid to improve and evolve our services we’ve given www.madesimplegroup.com a bit of a freshen-up. Designed to showcase the various services The Made Simple Group offer, we feel the site got a bit stale. So we: • Listed all of our websites • Made it easier for you to navigate • Added […]

We’ve recently launched a brand new page specifically to show off our Mobile and Web Apps. Mobile Apps View the page for further information on the Company Name Search app and the Tax Saver UK app. Web App You can also view our brand new Sole Trader v Limited Company web app. View the page […]

Prime Minister David Cameron says his government will “Back Small firms” and “Boost enterprise” as part of his growth strategy for the UK. Speaking in Cardiff on Sunday, Cameron went on to say he will “be on the side of everyone in this country who wants to create jobs, and wealth and opportunity.” The Prime […]

Yesterday we launched www.setting-up-a-limited-company.co.uk, the latest in our “All you need to know…” series. Take a look now! You can also view our previous entry “All you need to know about Dormant Company Accounts” here. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple Keep up to date. Subscribe to our […]

A quick update on our new search function. We now have a search box on the top-right corner of Companies Made Simple so it’s even easier for you to search our site for services and information. Give it a go! This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple Keep up […]

Innovative small businesses will have the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts, similar to the popular TV show Dragon’s Den, from April. Launching in Birmingham, the initiative has been set up to “fast track” small business services thought to be innovative and beneficial to both the government and other small […]

A survey produced by The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) shows that the demand for UK-produced goods has increased, with 30% of those companies who took part saying output rose “in the three months to January”. The CBI state “Output was lifted by an improvement in domestic orders growth, with 28% of firms reporting a […]

Latest figures released by the information services show that small companies in the last quarter of 2010 paid invoices, on average, 25.7 days late. These figures show an increase of 16% when compared to the rest of the year. Industry experts consider such stats useful when looking at the “health” of small companies. This post […]

As part of the continuous drive to improve our site, Companies Made Simple now has a wonderful new search function. If you know what service you want but just don’t know where to find it, simply pop it into the search bar and you’ll be directed to it. Try now! This post was brought to […]

A venture capital company or fund is typically a company that is in the business of taking risks. A venture capital fund is often backed by a group of investors that may be individuals or companies. The investors are often represented by a management group that evaluates potential investments and manages the existing investment portfolio. […]

Up to 43% of small companies have ruled themselves out of trading overseas because they find the idea too daunting, according to a survey by Parcelforce. Of the 513 “executives” surveyed, 43% of those not trading abroad recognised the fact it could increase revenue but most overlooked this as they believed the process to be […]

The National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) is expected to announce its relaunch as a charity today. A number of private sector sponsors are also expected to be announced. NACUE currently “supports over 85 universities in stimulating student-led activity and represents the view of over 40,000 enterprising students.” This post was brought to you by […]

The Government has launched exciting plans to expand the scope of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), which it hopes will create 40 000 new businesses by 2013. The NEA will provide up to £2000 to unemployed people who want to start their own business. The scheme will be available to twice as many people as […]

Promising figures recently released point to an increase in start-ups in the UK. Companies House have reported that 359, 651 new companies were formed from January to November 2010. This is a 12% increase on 2009. The British Bankers’ Association have also confirmed around 570,000 companies set up bank accounts last year, the highest figure […]

So you’ve formed your Limited Company, your product is ready, now it’s time to think about the 4 P’s of marketing: Product Product covers the physical aspects or intangible characteristics of the product or service you are planning to sell. It can include packaging, appearance, warranty etc. Pricing Pricing should take into account profit margins […]

With the New Year fast approaching many people will be thinking about new starts. And whilst we will not say “forget” about giving up smoking, chocolate, alcohol etc etc we will say consider doing something different for 2011. How about starting a new business? Whilst such a decision can’t and shouldn’t be taken lightly, now […]

According to a recent report published by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, the UK remains one of the world’s best countries to do business ahead of both the USA and the rest of Europe. Without doubt, part of this is due to both our own home-grown talent and entrepreneurial spirit, but also […]

Throughout its electoral campaign, the Conservative party vowed to help support enterprise in the UK and encourage a recovery stimulated and sustained by private enterprise. While the government has devised a number of concessions to support small businesses – the reduction in corporation tax and National Insurance – many small business owners have felt that […]

Wednesday, saw the announcement of George Osborne’s much anticipated spending review. In it, the Chancellor pledged to reduce public sector spending by over eighty billion pounds over the next four years. But will it compromise the country’s economic recovery? And what impact will it have on private enterprise. Well, if the results of a survey […]

Small business owners have put a hold on developing their environmental policy until market condition improve, claims a recent survey. According to research done by HSBC small business division, companies are focusing on consolidating their existing business propositions rather than planning the implementation of new initiatives. Of the four hundred business owners asked, only thirty […]

Companies Made Simple is going on the road! We are delighted to be a part of the annual 2020 accountancy conference in Birmingham from 14th October to 16th. We’ll be exhibiting a number of our company formation and company secretarial products and have a few treats in store! Drop by our stand and have a […]

Running a business through a limited company imposes numerous obligations on the directors to comply with company law. Apart from all the various rules and regulations relating to the filing of documents, annual returns, accounts and such like, there are also literally hundreds of clauses in the latest Companies Act governing the management of a […]

Prior to the general election, David Cameron said that he aimed to make company formation the simplest process in Europe. He pledged to reduce bureaucratic red tape, streamline the complex tax system and introduce a ‘one in one out policy’ when it comes to adding new laws relating to business. But has he achieved his […]

Throughout the recession the UK’s banks have come under fire for failing to adequately support company formation and company registration. Indeed, from lending to increasing the cost of existing finance arrangement, they have been demonised by almost all areas of enterprise. But is that about to change? When the coalition government first came into power […]

Once the government announced that the country was officially out of recession, many industry analysts expected the number of companies looking to recruit would increase. However, that was not the case, indeed it emerged that companies were planning to wait until market conditions improved and consolidate their existing proposition. Yet, further to the bi-annual survey […]

Over the past two years, anyone considering company formation and company registration has been dissuaded from entering the retail sector, due to tales of decreasing consumer confidence, low margins and increasing competition. However, if recent figures are to be believed, it seems that the high street is on the up. According to recent figures from […]

When the coalition government first came into power, David Cameron promised an ‘enterprise led recovery’. Consequently, in its ‘Emergency Budget’ the coalition made certain concessions to the SME and company formation sector to help small business and support company formation, namely the reduction in corporation tax and certain improvement in National Insurance. However, since the […]

Before the recession hit, UK enterprise was developing a distinctly green agenda; not only was it good PR for a company to have a clear environmental policy from the point of company formation and company registration, it was also financially beneficial. However, as UK businesses began to feel the pressure of increasingly difficult market conditions, […]

According to a recent report, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the day when men and work get paid equally is still over fifty years away. Despite the fact that this year is the fortieth anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, men are still getting paid, on average over twenty per cent […]

Much has been made about the importance of the small business sector to the UK’s broader economic recovery; the Prime Minster David Cameron said that the sector was the ‘backbone of the UK’s economy’ while, the head of the Bank of England Mervyn King said identified that the SME sector was ‘Vital’ to the UK’s […]

For many consumers and company owners alike, the days of using a cheque as a payment method are long gone. Most of the retail sector has long since abandoned it and most consumers wouldn’t think of using a cheque at the checkout and consequently the government are now planning to terminate the cheque as a […]

While it has been reported that the manufacturing sector has enjoyed the best trading conditions it has experienced in the last decade, as a consequence of increased global consumer confidence, latest figures from the Office of National Statistics reveals that manufacturing output actually fell in the month of May. Harvey Bridges, chief economic advisor to […]

When it was first announced that David Cameron would form a Lib-Con Coalition government, the small business and company formation sector took a collective concerned breath. Many business owners felt that a government with such polarised ideological differences would be too preoccupied by internal power struggles to give the company formation and small business sector […]

When the previous administration appointed Lord Alan Sugar as ‘New Business Tsar’ widespread controversy ensued. Tasked with advising the government on all matters to do with small business and enterprise, Lord Sugar immediately alienated the people he was meant to be representing, by claiming that struggling small business owners were ‘whiners’. Lord Sugar has again […]

While England football fan are well accustomed to having their hopes raised only to be disappointed, for many small business and company formation owners, England’s crushing defeat at the hands of Germany this weekend will have been made even worse, by the fact that it will undoubtedly have a negative effect on consumer spending. While […]

Since it has been in power, David Cameron’s coalition government have announced a number of landmark plans, designed to address the budget deficit. Some have been unpopular with the small business and company formation sector – increasing VAT and Capital Gains Tax – while some have been received positively – National Insurance provisions and the […]

This week saw David Cameron’s coalition government announce its first budget. Devised with the primary objective of addressing the huge budget deficit the UK economy faces, has George Osborne been ‘tough, but fair’ or are the much feared tax increases he proposes a step to far, especially at the point in the UK’s fragile economic […]

Initially, the SME and company formation sector were concerned that a Coalition government would result in a weak executive paralyzed by ideological differences and unable to make the difficult decisions needed to address the severe economic issues this country faces. However , when the Queen opened parliament and gave a speech outlining David Cameron’s coalition’s […]

The retail sector has encountered many challenges since the beginning of 2010; first came the increase in VAT and then some of the worse weather conditions this country has ever seen. Both of which resulted in a decrease in consumer confidence and subsequently consumer spending and left company formation owners in the retail sector under […]

You’ve been thinking about it for years, spent hours upon hours thinking about how your dream could become a reality and now it is finally here. No, we’re not talking about the imminent World Cup we’re referring to company formation. For most entrepreneurs, forming their own company has been a lifelong dream and once they […]

Throughout the recession, all three major political parties vowed to position the small business and SME sector at the center of their economic policy, in varying ways. However, one of the areas both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Party agreed on is the fact that historically company formation, company registration and the daily operation of […]

Gordon Brown’s election campaign took a massive blow on Wednesday, but what caused it? Labour’s refusal to abandon their planned National Insurance hike, despite negative feedback from the small business sector? Brown’s position on Greece’s failing economy? No, it was all down to pensioner called Gillian Duffy. Mrs. Duffy, a lifelong Labour supporter from Rochdale, […]

On Tuesday’s Newsnight, author and political commentator, Jeanette Winterson said that it was the first time in over fifty years that the Liberal Democrat party has a real chance to win the general election. While this remains to be seen, a recent poll by marketing research company FJ Global has found that most company formation […]

According to many political pundits, the election has been distinctly ‘uneventful’ so far. Indeed, despite the high profile advertising of a glossy televised debate, much of the media has defined this election as the most boring they have ever seen. Could this be a consequence of the fact that, regardless of historical differences in ideology, […]

Last week’s debate gave an overall view of what each of the main parties wants for the future of Britain; Clegg, Brown and Cameron each articulated their party’s policies on defense, the economy and enterprise, among other things. Thursday’s debate – aired controversially on Sky TV – saw all three political leaders go head to […]

Each party’s election campaign is well under way and interestingly ‘small business’ has been positioned high up on the political agenda for the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat party. But is any party truly listening to what small business really wants or needs? We ask Katherine Grimes, founder and CEO of business consultancy firm KSG, […]

Labour’s announcement that it planned to increase National Insurance in 2011 and its subsequent failure to retract the plan in the wake of massive opposition from the small business sector, could cost them the small business owner vote. This is a fact that has not gone unnoticed by both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative party, […]

Last night’s debate will go down in history as the day the British political system became presidential. With all the media attention on political party leaders – and of course their wives – focus on image and the fact that all the political leaders have sought advice from American debating professionals, it seems the UK’s […]

Today’s the day we have all been waiting for, the day when the first televised debate between the countries major political leaders will take place. The fact is, for all three party leaders, the outcome of this televised debate is more important then any of them could have ever conceived initially and the gloves are […]

Days away from the first live political debate between the leaders of the three major parties in the UK; it seems that each party is attempting to position itself as the ‘SME Party.’ While Labour’s manifesto promised to keep tax rates ‘competitive’ and cut any over bureaucratic red tape, on the back of their recent […]

Walk through any high street in the UK and it’s likely that you will be confronted with the sad scene of empty premises and largely deserted streets. Many people may conclude that this situation is the result of the recession; however, a report from the IAB claims that this may not be the only contributing […]

Last month, the government announced plans to change paternity laws in the UK. Initially feedback was mixed; many people felt it was a step in the right direction, while some feared the impact such changes would have on enterprise in the UK. In today’s post we ask employment solicitor Vanessa Barnett for her advice and […]

The fall of the high street has been a well documented issue, one that becomes increasingly more poignant at this time of year. While festive spending may be down on the high street, online retailers are set to experience a day of record sales today, according to a report commissioned by the Internet Advertising Bureau. […]

The phenomena that is the Dragon’s Den has revolutionised entrepreneurialism in the UK. A recent report claimed, that the ‘Den’, as it is affectionately known, not only promotes starting your own company, it also, shows that everyone can do it. It is a well known fact that the Dragon’s support, not only the SME sector […]

A recent report by GQ magazine, highlighted the differences between influence and power; power being something that is bestowed upon you, influence being something that you gain on your own, through a combination of personality and confidence. According to the magazine, Gordon Brown is the physical embodiment of power, while David Cameron represents influence. If […]

A recent study, conducted by the London School of Economics, has revealed that almost 50% of all small to medium enterprise have conserved their profitability, during the economic downturn. This news will be welcomed by the SME sector, most of whom are still furious about the comments made by the government’s ‘Enterprise Champion’ Lord Alan […]

Royal Mail has announced that industrial action planned to take place both today and Monday has been cancelled. This is obviously great news as Royal Mail plays an integral part in the smooth running of our mail forwarding services. This announcement couldn’t come at a better time considering the festive period we are about to […]

As we are all aware, pre-recessionary Britain was a very different place, not only in business, but across the whole spectrum of society. Education was collectively perceived to be the best route to career success and economic security. From an early age, students were encouraged to work hard at school, get to university, graduate and […]

From January 1st 2024, the HMRC have introduced several new tax laws. One in particular affects Britons who have ‘side hustles’ selling or renting items or property on online marketplaces such as Depop, Vinted, Airbnb and Etsy.

The UK Home Office passed a new law which will increase the powers of Companies House,  the registrar for businesses in England, Wales and North Ireland. 

Our blog breaks down the what, why and how the new bill titled ‘Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act l will affect UK businesses and company formations from now on.