Companies House will contact you if they think your name is too similar – and tell you what to do. If you decide to become an entrepreneur or freelancer with your own limited liability company, you will need to register a company name. This means that you need to choose a name that is professional and easy to remember. We discuss ways to help you choose a memorable and appropriate name for your limited liability company. Trade names also allow you to have multiple functions for a single limited liability company. For example, you can be a freelance web designer who also does SEO work. Under the limited liability company Super-Duper Web Design Ltd., you can operate two trade names – Super-Duper Design and Super-Duper SEO. Quite simply, actually. Unlike company names, trade names do not require registration. All you have to do is invent one and make sure you don`t commit trademark infringement (you can check the IPR website for potential conflicts). At the end of all your documents (invoices, etc.), make sure to display the correct name of your company as follows: If the name is available, you need to make sure that it is not the same as an existing brand. You can do this by consulting the UK Intellectual Property Office`s Trademark Register. When it comes to choosing your business name, you should stick to regulations and avoid words that can damage your company`s credibility.

Perform a company name check and check the availability of the desired name. If your company name is rejected by Companies House, you will need to select a new company and resubmit your application. The old adage «Your business is your baby» is especially true when you need to start a new business and choose an appropriate name. Your first port of call would be to check the company name to see if the desired name is available. This article explains how to perform a company name check and describes everything you need to know about the implications of your limited liability company name. As a general rule, try not to stick to more than two syllables and no more than ten letters. A simpler name is easier to remember and therefore easier to search for on Google. If the Southern Ohio Amalgamated Steam Traction Engine and Boiler Manufacturing Company hadn`t closed in 1927, it`s a safe bet that it would have already come up with a new name. Finally, if you decide that your initial choice of business name was not good, you can always change it by adopting a business resolution and sending Form NM01 to Companies House.

The two suffixes are completely interchangeable, and there are other permutations as well. If you are registering a limited liability company called «Dave`s Bouncy Castles», the following is acceptable: Before performing the name verification of your Companies House, you should consider the following factors: If you`re looking for a unique name, keep an eye out for competitors who use names similar to the one you want. Avoid business names that could confuse your business with another similar type of business in your geographic area. For example, if there is a «Blue Horizon Hair Care» in your city, you should not call your business «Blue Horizon Nail Spa». Your name should evoke some kind of connection or understanding. A good example of this is PayPal doing both – «Pay» tells me what he`s doing, and «Pal» evokes the idea of a relationship. In terms of legal requirements, you will need to register the name of your limited liability company with Companies House. If the name you have chosen is too similar to an existing name, your application may be rejected. Luckily, you can check if your company name is available in our limited liability company designation tool.

It`s worth bookmarking this name checker – whenever you`re struck by the inspiration for a new name, skip it before you`re too excited. Bonus Tip: Companies House search doesn`t return partial results, so enter the suggested full name. You can trade with a name other than your registered name. This is called a «trade name». Ask your friends and family what they think of the name. You can take a survey and get your opinion on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. If you go a step further, you can go out in public and ask people on the street what they think. After all, they are the ones you need to impress. The rules for sole proprietors are quite simple, sole proprietor names are not allowed: While «Rapid IT Solutions Limited» may be a logical choice for an entrepreneurial business, it may not be an ideal name if you`re turning to real estate development or anything else in the future. Learn about the different ways to register and familiarize yourself with your responsibilities to your limited liability company. A useful calendar is included that shows all the important dates you need to remember, such as when to submit your annual reports and when to send your annual accounts to HMRC. Maybe you want your business to be cool, enigmatic and elusive? The kind of company that operates out of an office on the top floor of the City of London and still makes a lot of money for it.

Something. If this is the image you want to convey, names like «[empty] solutions» or «The [empty] group» are your friends. If you are creating a business or LLC, you may need to place a business name identifier such as «corp.», «inc.» or «LLC» after your name. Your state may also contain a list of names that you are not authorized to use. For example, you are generally not allowed to use the word «bank» unless you are a financial institution. You should take the time to research possible company names, as you can trade under them for many years. You also want to present a professional image to clients or recruitment agencies. Solid, simple and factual, this method can be a bit dry, but it will get the job done. Just take your name, add what you do, and Bob is your uncle. To help you, we`ve put together a comprehensive guide to naming your limited liability company. We`ll guide you through legal obligations and branding considerations, and offer a range of bonus tips to keep your creativity flowing.

If, after all this, you are still struggling to name your limited liability company, we will show you where you need more help. Unusual words and creative spelling are often used to make a company stand out from the crowd, but this can sometimes have the opposite effect if the name is too difficult for people to spell and pronounce. If you plan to trade internationally, you should consider registering an EU trademark. By the way, if you do business abroad, don`t forget to check how the name you have chosen is translated into other languages. Executing your business name through Google Translate can save you a lot of embarrassment in the future. Although you receive your own unique company registration number, this means little to customers who have suffered unsatisfactory services from the dissolved company. Therefore, it is important to research the name of your potential business to avoid damaging your reputation. If you choose our Crunch Training service (and you should find it super easy and free if you get Crunch accounting), your name will be labeled «Limited», however, one of the above deviations is legally allowed. Choose a good business name and it could prove to be one of your most effective marketing tools that will differentiate you from the competition, add value to your brand, and attract customers from your target market. A bad business name, on the other hand, could prevent your business from taking off in the first place. All you have to do is get approval from the company`s directors and then file Form NM01 with Companies House for a small fee. You can also enlist the help of a business start-up agent to ensure that all details, processes, and searches are done without hindrance.

If you`re thinking about starting a business but aren`t ready to move on, you can always start a business and let it rest. This way, you secure the name, but you have a minimum of administrative tasks to perform per year if you do not act. You are not legally prevented from using a name of a dissolved limited liability company. If you want to use a dissolved company name, simply research the company`s past business activities to find out if there are any negative/criminal links associated with that particular name. Besides the more obvious rules, such as not choosing a name that might be considered offensive, there are a number of «sensitive» words and phrases that can only be used if you are qualified in any way or have had permission from a government or professional organization to use it. Looking for a business name that screams authority, simplicity and a domain name that is difficult to buy? Simply choose a short, catchy verb or adjective and voila. For good examples, see Stomp, Wham, Boost, or Crunch. All of our company`s domain names are hosted on GoDaddy – they are very reliable and affordable. And we don`t get paid to say that. If you want to have a trade name other than your company name (often called a brand name), you need to protect it under trademark law to prevent others from using it. This is more commonly practiced by sole proprietors as they do not operate through limited liability companies.

Your company can either pass a special resolution at a board meeting, or with most contracting LLCs, all shareholders can sign a special written resolution.