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The Registered Office is the official address for a limited company. Despite this, company directors (or anyone else from the company) need not be based at the Registered Office – just as long as any government mail that arrives at the address is then forwarded to the directors.

Introducing a new product or service to compliment what you already offer is often a great idea as it can contribute to extra revenue and give your brand a whole new audience. However, it is important to act with a degree of caution.

We are discontinuing our old service. You are only affected if you are using the version that is embedded via an iframe (pictured below). If this affects you please read on to find out more information, including why it’s being discontinued and what your options are (spoiler: there’s an affiliate program, or we have a […]

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.

The importance of awards in business is something that is often overlooked. It’s quite easy to discard awards and focus on the daily tasks required to grow your business, but the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of ways awards can help a business grow too.

It’s an issue that affects many people when they are beginning to form their company, what do you call it? We like to showcase great tips and tricks when it comes to company names – so that when you register with us you can make the right decision from the beginning.

We’re constantly looking at ways that we can improve our company formation process, making it easier for our customers to successfully set up their limited companies. 

As the Made Simple Group is all about, well, making things simple, I was encouraged to pare this post back to basics and come up with what I feel are the five main components of business. Get these right and you should never really go wrong. A niche idea The best businesses I’m seeing are […]

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 […]

We have withdrawn our CT41G assistance service until further notice. This is because HMRC have changed the processes for new limited companies and no longer send out the CT41G form for completion. We shall keep you updated on any developments. This post was brought to you by Mathew Aitken at Companies Made Simple – The […]

If your limited company was formed by us (if it wasn’t click here), did you know that you can update your Director and Secretary information with Companies House via our online admin portal? To do this simply login at Companies Made Simple, access “My Companies” and click on the relevant company. From this page you […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

1. Establish your mission. Your mission statement explains why your company exists. When you encounter a problem or a key decision, the answer will be informed by your mission. Think about why you started the company, what needs of the marketplace you aim to satisfy, and imagine where you want your business to be in […]

Last Updated: 21/08/2014 Complete the CH03 (Change of secretary’s details) paper form and file with Companies House. Or… If you are on the Companies Made Simple system you can login, access your company and edit the name from there. The name change normally takes just 3 working hours. Plus, it’s free! This post was brought […]

Last Updated: 20/08/2014 Much confusion surrounds Annual Returns and Annual Accounts. So to clarify: • They are not the same thing. Annual Returns are a snapshot of general company information such as appointments, registered office and share structure. Annual Accounts concern the financial aspect of the company. • Both are required – even if a […]

It’s always a disappointment if your application for a limited company is rejected by Companies House. You rack your brains as to what could possibly have gone wrong.

A report published by The Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA) has highlighted the lack of pension opportunities being offered in small businesses. The Smaller Firm’ Pensions Survey states “At present, two-thirds of the UK’s smaller firms offer no pension scheme”. 96% of those not offering pensions said the main reason was simply cost. The government […]

The important thing to note is that profit is “what’s left over.” In other words, profit is a residual. It is the consequence of what happens in and to your business. Some of these things are within your control and some of them are outside your control. If you’re going to have any effect on […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 If you appoint a director for your limited company but enter the incorrect date of birth you must: • Resign current appointment with the incorrect date of birth (TM01) • Reappoint with correct date of birth (AP01) Of course, if you have your company on the Companies Made Simple system you will […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 You can’t form a Limited Company in the UK without going through Companies House – they are the United Kingdom Government Department through which all UK companies are registered. In their own words, the main functions of Companies House are to: • incorporate and dissolve limited companies; • examine and store company […]

It may sound a little simplistic, but there are really only 4 fundamental ways to successfully grow your business.

As of now anyone who has a company with us is able to change their accounting reference date online via our system. Simply login to Companies Made Simple, access “my companies” and click on your company name. Next to “Accounting Reference Date” you will see “Change Date” – click this. You can then input your […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 The perfect company name can be lost all too easily. Even if you’ve created a URL and built your website the company name could still be at risk. So how do you go about protecting that perfect name? The easiest way to do this is to form a Limited Company with said […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 When forming your Limited Company you will notice that Companies House request both a residential address and a service address for directors. The residential address is self-explanatory, the service address not so. In short the service address can be any address in the world where the director can be contacted via mail. […]

With latest figures suggesting just 46.6% of UK based start-ups last more than 5 years, The Federation of Small Business (FSB) have urged more businesses to get involved with education. One initiative the FSB are backing is the “Visit Our Schools” campaign. The campaign encourages employers to visit local schools and colleges and share their […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 Our Reserve A Company Name Service is perfect for anyone who’s not quite sure if they want to go Limited but knows they want to put a name on hold. Just let us know what name you want and we will form the company for you, stopping anyone else from registering the name […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 Changing your company name has moved into the 21st Century! Whilst the NM01 (and don’t forget the name change resolution!) is still a perfectly valid way to alter your Limited Company’s moniker it can now also be carried out online. The two main advantages of this are: 1. Speed! The name change […]

In designing the stationery of a limited company, you must consider the legal requirements detailed below: Letters and orders • Name of company • Country of registration • Address of registered office • Company number • Forename or initial and surname of ALL or NONE of the directors • Invoices • Name and address of […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 A limited company is a separate legal entity that exists under the authority granted by statute. A limited company has substantially all of the legal rights of an individual and is responsible for its own debts. It must also file tax returns and pay taxes on the income it derives from its operations. […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 1. A Certificate of Good Standing (sometimes referred to as the Certificate of Existence or the Certificate of Authorization) confirms that a company has been incorporated and is authorised to trade. 2. It typically names the Registered Office; the Share Capital; the names of the Company Officers, Shareholders, and the main objects […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 PROS • You will be able to recover VAT on your purchases. • The VAT you can recover will not just be from the date you register for VAT but will include any VAT you have suffered on goods or assets purchased 3 years prior to registering for VAT, providing they are […]

At The Made Simple Group we form a number of limited companies with the intention of selling on. We call these our Shelf Companies. Of course every company needs a name and whilst we appreciate and fully understand the requirement for professional names we also like to get a bit “creative” with some names (you […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 1. A Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) offers limited liability to its members but is tax transparent and offers flexibility in terms of its internal organisation. 2. LLPs were primarily intended for use by the professions. However, any type of business operating for profit may use LLPs. An LLP may be suitable for […]

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 […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 Your company name is a vitally important part of your business, it makes up your identity and contributes largely to the image that you portray to your customers. With that in mind, it is wise to carefully consider your choice of name. Obviously, one could recommend simple tips such as choosing something […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 A UK Limited Company can have multiple secretaries, although having a company secretary is no longer a legal requirement. To appoint a new secretary after the company has been formed, you can submit an AP03 form to Companies House. To resign a secretary after the company has been formed, you can submit […]

According to recent statistics the start of 2009 saw an increase of 51,000 new businesses in the UK taking the total figure up to an estimated 4.8 million. The statistics released by The Department for Business Innovation and Skills summarise that Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accounted for 99.9 per cent of this total. The […]

Last Updated: 19/08/2014 1. Every UK Company MUST have a registered office address in the UK. If your company is registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland your registered office must be located there too. 2. You can use your residential or business address as the registered office of the company, or any other UK address, […]

Updated on 18/08/2014 Stressing the importance of a company name is pointless – let’s just leave it at “it matters”. So in this series of blogs we’re going to touch on the restrictions imposed by Companies House in regards to what you can and what can’t call your company. So before we wade into the […]

Forming a dormant company is exactly the same as forming a trading company. You still need a company name, you still need a company director and you still need a shareholder. The formation process is not one iota different.

At the beginning of August we launched our innovative and simple to use Company Secretarial System. Aimed primarily at accountants (but by no means restricted to them) the free system allows users to manage all their Limited Companies from one centralised, user friendly system. Perhaps the main benefit of using this system (apart from receiving […]

We have commented on a number of occasions on the fact that many small businesses have still yet to fully embrace online. In the light of the fact that most customers are reluctant to purchase from a company without a website, that is extremely worrying. However, while online remains vital to any company’s marketing mix, […]

In October 2008 Companies House implemented the first stages of their “Human Directorship” rule. This amounted to no company being incorporated after this date with just a corporate appointment. Now two years on Companies House are looking to end a period of grace whereby all companies with just a corporate appointment are likely to be […]

It is no surprise, that sites such as Amazon include all customer feedback, both positive and negative. Of course in Amazon’s case, the feedback is about a product they are selling rather than about their own site, but nevertheless, it is generally accepted best practice to make all your customer feedback available to users of […]

Last week we tweeted about the suitability of John Whiting heading up the new Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) considering his past with PriceWaterHouseCoopers. In short, if the main aim of the office is to assist small business in tax related issues, surely someone with more experience of dealing with small companies would be more […]

Whoever thought that in the age of the Tweet, the LinkedIn and the Skype call that where you live impacts upon the likelihood of you starting up your own business? Well apparently so according to a recent report on Businesszone. The report suggests that for every 10,000 Londoners, 24 companies are formed, whilst the rest […]

Despite the common perception of company formation owners as being on huge salaries, having expensive cars and extravagant lifestyles, a recent report reveals that this couldn’t be further from the truth. HSBC business asked of two thousand small business and company formation owners what they wanted most from running their own company and the results […]

The political dust has finally settled and now, after a tumultuous week of back and forth we finally have a new leader at No.10 in the shape of David Cameron. Make what you will of the Conservative – Liberal Democrat alliance, it certainly has the makings of a very interesting story, the oddest couple since […]

Despite  the fact that at the start of the year many small business and company formation owners said that their growth plans for 2010 revolved around recruiting new team members,  the number of people without a job has risen to over two and a half million over the last quarter. Regardless of private sector recruitment […]

Did you form a UK Limited Company before the 1st of October 2009 (which saw the remaining sections of the Companies Act 2006 implemented)? If so, chances your Articles are outdated and may be putting your company at risk. So why would you adopt the new Articles? • To ensure your company articles reflect current law […]

When setting up a UK Limited Company, Companies House requests a number of addresses from you. The main three that you’ll notice are the Registered Office address, the Service address and the Residential address. So how do they differ and how does your choice of address impact upon you and your business? The Registered Office […]

In a tough economic context, in which obtaining finance for a business is incredibly difficult, what is the next step if an entrepreneur has exhausted all their alternative options? Well, according to a recent report by the commercial banking arm of Santander, most entrepreneurs who have been refused finance rely on their own personal savings […]

You’ve received numerous emails relating to cheap Company Credit Checks but never taken any notice. It’s time you re-evaluated this stance though as Credit Checks can prove a vital tool in the success of your company. What is a Company Credit Check? It’s a detailed report on a company including details of: • Who owns (shareholders) […]

THIS DEAL HAS NOW EXPIRED Having set up a UK Limited Company you may be wondering what exactly a registered office is and how your choice of registered office will impact upon your new business. So first things first, what is a registered office? A registered office is a company’s official address as recognised by […]

According to Liberal Democrat Vince Cable, start up businesses which have good credit and viable business models are being refused credit from most banks and are left confused about the reasons behind it. Cable claims that this is stunting the growth of the SME sector and hindering the UK’s economic recovery. According to a recent […]

Four decades on from when women were urged to ‘burn their bras’, it seems that regardless of the various feminist campaigns devised to address gender inequality in the workplace, it still very much existing in the contemporary working environment. A report, conducted by the FDA, has found that over 30% of all female entrepreneurs think […]

Once the recession hit, a number of key manufacturing industries began to suffer, namely the car industry. Demand dwindled and the media was saturated with stories of closing factories and job losses. However, according to a new report conducted by Forum of Enterprise and Retail, sales are up by almost thirty per cent and 2011 […]

When asked for the main reason most entrepreneurs want to form their own company, most state that it is because they want a more flexible working life. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that forming their own company is a dream for many mothers. However, what may be a little surprising is the fact […]

New figures published by the Office of National Statistics, indicate the small independently owned retailers are being forced into administration due to the rise of the ‘power brand’ supermarket chains. The research shows that supermarket chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s have grown during the recession while the number of small independent retailers who are […]

Picture the scene. You’re having a relaxing evening at home, just settled down to eat your dinner, a glass of wine perhaps when the doorbell rings. It turns out to be an eager customer of your online business who can’t wait to finalise a purchase. How, you wonder, has this person found your home address? 

Establishing how to survive the recession, has been pretty much top of every business owner’s agenda for some time now. A crucial part of that is deciding how and where to cut costs within an organisation. As the current state of the job seeker market indicates, many companies have looked to cutting staff as a […]

Here at Companies Made Simple, we see the rise in company formation figures in the last quarter, as an encouraging sign that the recession is in the early stages of recovery. However, a recent poll of leading entrepreneurs and business owners reveals that overall opinion in the SME sector is well and truly divided. The […]

Historically, company formation was completed by an accountant, now most people wanting to start their own company choose to complete the company formation process online, which is a much quicker and cheaper process. However, the tax and financial implications of forming your own company are vast and therefore most businesses, from sole traders to limited […]

From the point of company formation, most business owners have an idea of what sort of brand identity they want their company to have. Having a strong sense of what you want your brand to be about, allows you to communicate it to members of your team and makes the process of delegation easier. Also, […]

As your company evolves, so do the demands of leadership. In this post, we question if a business/owner manager is actually the best person to progress a company and take it to the next level. From the point when you start the company formation process through to the early stages of trading, leadership is often […]

In the current economic downturn, many businesses are considering their future. According to business analyst Harry Stevens, despite hostile market conditions, it’s a sellers’ market right now. Stevens suggests that this is the result of a number key economic factors; the re-emergence of trade buyers, the availability of debt and the shortage of good opportunities.  […]