You have made the decision to branch out on your own; the first question is what type of business would be best?

The options are sole trader, a partnership or a limited company. The particular advantages of a limited company mean it is the preferred choice for most as it brings a range of benefits not available to sole traders and partnerships.

• One of the premier benefits is that of limited liability whereby your personal assets are protected in the unfortunate event that things go wrong with your company.
• Limited status provides credibility and confidence to suppliers and customers as your company details are available for all to see on the Companies House database.
• Once incorporated your company name will be protected as it is listed in the register of companies maintained by Companies House thus preventing anyone else from trading under your name as a Limited Company.

These 10 steps to designing your business plan could be the perfect place to start your planning

1. Brief statement of your objectives
2. Your assessment of the market you wish to enter
3. The skill, experience, and finance you will bring to it
4. The particular benefits of the product or service to your customers
5. How you will set up the business
6. The longer term view
7. Your financial targets
8. The money you are asking for and how it will be used
9. Appendices to back up previous statements including the cash flow and other financial projections
10. History of the business (where applicable)

We have structured our companies in 3 groups to facilitate your choice.

Standard UK Company

• Limited Company
  Protect your personal assets, add credibility to your business and protect your company name.
• Public Limited Company
  Ability to offer shares to the public and provides extra financial status.
• Name Reservation Service
  Prevent anyone using your company name when thinking of setting up a business in the near future.

Specialist UK Company

• Limited Liability Company
  Mainly used by professionals such as Architects, Lawyers or Dentists or by a group of individuals entering into a joint venture, more flexible than a Limited Company.
• Not for Profit Company
  Private Company Limited by guarantee, for Charity Registrations, Residents Associations, Sports, Clubs and Societies.
• Ready Made Company
  Companies which have been in existence for some time and you take immediate control of the company.
• Property Management Company
  For Companies acting as a liaison between landlord and tenant or for owning and managing properties. Company can be Limited by Shares or by guarantee.

We offer a quick & easy to follow 5 steps process.

• Choose your Company Name
• Choose the package to suit your needs
• Select Additional Products
• Make Payment
• Specify Company Officers (Director & Secretary or Members), Registered Office, and if required, Share Capital and Subscribers.
• Your electronic documentation is usually received from Companies House and emailed to you inside 8 working hours.

From forming your business to providing services to get you up and running, @UK plc is there to help you every step of the way.

@UK Tip

At the same time as checking your company name availability check to see if the relevant domain name is available as well. Even if you do not wish to create your own website immediately it’s something you may want to do in the future and there’s no guarantee that the name will still be available.

It is important to understand which documents & services are applicable to your type of Company & which ones would be useful.

We believe the following ones are ‘the essentials’ for a Limited company & this is why we include them in our Premier package.

• Full Trading Limited Company
• Memorandum and Articles of Association (electronic version).
• Certificate of Incorporation (electronic version).
• Certificate of Incorporation (Paper format - Posted 1st Class on the day of Formation)
• 6 Bound copies of your Articles and Memorandum (Posted 1st Class on the day of Formation)
• Company Seal with your Company Name (Delivered by courier* - signature required).
• Statutory Register
• Online Admin Portal
• Fast Track Bank Account

However, there is a range of products to suit everyone's needs. Check our Business Packages Comparison page to know what is relevant for you business.