Company Formation Services

When do I buy a registered office address for my company?

A registered office address can be purchased at any time during your Limited Companies life time. However we always recommend that if you are forming a Limited Company yourself, that you register your company address with our London office service in advance.There is good reason why we recommend purchasing the registered office before forming a company at Companies House for good reason; it will save you time and keep any private addresses of public record.When you register a company for the first time at Companies House, they legally require you to state where your companies registered office is located. If you don`t have a registered office address service, then you will normally place your residential address in this section. This information will be stored permanently on public record which can be searched at any time by anyone via Companies House web check system. Even if you decide to change your registered office address at a later date, the search will still show the change of address and will list your original address on record.Many of our clients use our registered office address service to keep their residential address private and off searchable records, so its thoroughly recommend that you purchase our service before forming a Limited Company.

Benefits of using our registered office address.

1. All statutory mail is forwarded to any location worldwide for free
2. Receive HMRC post at this address
3. Mail can be collected from our offices
4. Completely private and confidential
5. Prestigious London address available
6. Instant creditability for your prospective clients

Why you wouldn`t want to use your residential address

1. Unwanted callers could turn up
2. Junk Mail
3. Legal action aimed at you residential address

Your Virtual Office London is leading expert in company formations and supplementary services for both Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships. If you would like further advice on our registered office address services please do get in contact with us.If you found this post interesting, you can read more in our business blog.

A director's service address can be purchased at any time before, during or after you have formed a company. A director is required to add an address at Companies House, this is a legal requirement. Statuary mail from HMRC or Companies House would then be sent to this address.We would recommend that you purchase the directors service address before you form a company for some very good reasons.If you want to use a director`s service address to protect your residential address and you have already formed a Limited Company at Companies House, the address already used will be permanently on record. So for example you have just formed a Limited Company using your residential address as the directors address any changes to this will still show the original address and the date of the change, as well as showing the new address.

Who can access my address?

Your Limited Companies information is stored on the company register and this is a public record. A public record can be accessed by anyone, most people these days will access the record via the web check service provided by companies house. This will show information such as the Company Name, Number, Date of Incorporation, Directors Details, and even financial information.We strongly recommend using our directors service address in conjunction with our registered office address to help protect your residential address from public view.

Benefits of using our Director's Service Address

• All mail from HMRC and Companies House forwarded free of charge to any location worldwide
• Mail can also be collected from our London office
• Our service offers complete anonymity to all clients
• Having a London address in a prestigious area adds real credibility to your business operation

If you would like to discuss any of the points raised in this blog post, please feel free to get in contact with us. We provide leading services such as mail forwarding addresses in London, registered office address, company formation and accounting.If you would like to read more on our service, why not try our business blog? It`s informative and an excellent resource for start-up businesses.

A director of a company has different options when it comes to pay. Each option has different tax benefits. It is very important to be clear on what method you will chose as your accountant will need to know this.

Dividends

A dividend is rewarded to shareholders. An owner of a Limited Company is a shareholder and they will be able to pay themselves in the form of a dividend.An advantage of a dividend is that you do not pay any national insurance on the payment. You will need to pay income which does depend on the level of your earnings.A dividend will need to be paid to all shareholders of the company, this will need to be declared in the minutes of the meeting you will hold with the other directors.Legally a dividend voucher must be created which would show some important information such as the date is was issued, the company details i.e name and number, the shareholders details and the amount the dividend is.

PAYE

Pay As You Earn (real time). PAYE is a HMRC scheme to collect National insurance and income tax for employees of a company, including staff and directors. You will need to register for this scheme, if you`re the owner of a Limited Company you will be classes as an employer and employee.When you pay yourself a monthly salary, you will need to send a PAYE return to HMRC which will show the amount you have paid, including tax and deductions. Again the amount of National Insurance and income tax will depend on the tax code and your tax status.If you need help with your companies accounts please speak to us today. We offer free and impartial advice, our business accountant can help with PAYE registration and can help explain your current tax status and how best to optimise your current situation.If you liked this accounting blog post, you can read more from Your Virtual Office London blog.

We provide three different address services. We provide a London office address for trading businesses, a registered office address service and a director`s service address. All three are different from each other and have key features which are important to understand.The first question you need to ask yourself is what type of business are you? Are you a Limited Company, Partnership or sole trader? (There are more legal entities to the ones we listed but these are the main types our customers own).If you are a Limited Company you will be able to choose all three services. The our central London office location is for your company registration, this is the main address that is required legally by Companies House. This address is on public record, the registered office address will be used to send you legal letters and statutory mail such as Tax Returns from HMRC& company documents from Companies House. The advantage to using our registered office address service in London is that it instantly takes your personal address of record; this has obvious benefits and keeps your address private and secure. Another benefit is that it looks very professional; our address situated in London is in a vibrant and affluent business start-up area which will instantly give your company an excellent image to prospective clients.Again if you`re a Limited Company our Directors Service address is similar in terms of function to the registered office address. When you register a limited company through Companies House, you will need to list at least one director. When you list this director Companies House will require you to input contact information such as where the director is located. Our director`s service address allows you to place our prestigious London address instead of your own. Again the same benefits apply to this as per the registered office address; it takes your personal address of public record and makes you look more professional.Our London office address for trading businesses is for Limited Companies, sole traders and even personal customers. This is simple a mail address that allows you to receive your post at our London office address. This has many benefits such as making your business look established, if you`re a personal customer this can help if you are in many locations and need a central point to pick up your post form. Many customers use this address as their main office location, if you are based in another city, having the capital as another option for your customers makes your business operation look more professional, helping them to have trust in your business. For full features please view our London office address package page.If you have any questions about Your Virtual Office London packages, please get in touch with us today. Our team are always happy to take your call, or if you prefer, drop us an email and we aim to respond same day to all emails during working hours.If you liked this blog post, you can read more in our informative business blog.

I'm a director and a minority shareholder what happens if the majority shareholder wants me out?

In this article we discuss what happens if two shareholders are in dispute where one is a minority shareholder. What rights does the minority shareholder have, and what if anything can you do?Sometimes it is necessary to remove a director from a company if a dispute arises. This is where the Company`s Articles of Association would be used, they would be used to confirm the procedure of how disputes are handles. If the Company`s Articles of Association do not provide a solution, the next solution is to understand section 994 of the Companies Act 2006.

This is a very important statute and this states:

A member of a company may apply to the court by petition for an order under this Part on the grounds that(a) The company`s affairs are being or have been conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of members generally or of some part of its members (including at least himself), or(b) An actual proposed act or omission of the company (include an act or omission on its behalf) is or would be so prejudicialThe idea behind this is to protect minority shareholder, this means shareholders with less than 50% of the shareholding in a situation where the majority shareholder seeks to act in a manner that is unfair to the minority share holder, such as removing them as a director. This statue gives the minority shareholder some power in the court if they feel they have been unfairly treated. In such circumstances a majority shareholder could try to damage the company which could result in a reduction of the value of the share.The minority shareholder would have to have a good case to show that the majority shareholder was actively trying to damage the business in order to reduce the value of the shares, simply stating the business is being badly run would not be enough. Credible proof would be needed and it could be a lengthy process.If you are in this position and need more advice, Your Virtual Office London provide company support and advice. We are happy to help you, we offer free and impartial advice and have a vast amount of experience behind us. Our team have been forming companies since 1971 and are on hand to help provide you with the knowledge you need in order make sure your company makes the right choice.We provide other professional services too, such as registered office addresses service, directors service address and mail forwarding in London. What ever the need, speak to us today.

If you are a shareholder of a Limited Company and you die, the shares will go to whoever inherits them under a will or through intestacy. The deceased person`s shareholder will be administered by the executors of the will or if there is no will left, then through administrators of the estate.The Limited company will need to accept evidence of the probate of the will or letter of administration to establish that the rights of the personal representatives in respect to the shares and ownership. The representatives of the deceases are subject to the Company`s Articles of Association.Some companies have restrictions on the transfer of shares outlined in the articles, which may allow the directors of the company to refuse the registration of the shares.It is essential to make sure you have a plan in place in case one of the shareholders dies, it is essential that this process is correctly documented.

Some normal arrangements are as follows:

1. An agreement that any shares may pass to particular people such as a shareholders partner or children.
2. Pre-emption rights in favour of the existing shareholders
3. A pre-arranged right to buy the deceased shareholders holding with valuation arrangements and a payment schedule.
4. A cross option agreement, a legal contract between the shareholders and the owner of the shares with an insurance policy which will pay a pre-agreed sum which would be used to pay for the deceased shareholders holding. For example the shareholder passes the shares to his partner, the other shareholders then arrange for insurance prior to death to cover the cost of buying the shares back. Upon death, the shareholders then are given the legal right to buy the shares from the partner using the insurance pay-out.

The situation you need to avoid is whereby there is no plan, and a shareholder dies and there are conflicting issues with the will and the companies articles.If you need professional advice on the above issues, Your Virtual Office London can help discuss the option available to you. We are company formation experts, and have been forming companies since 1971.

Your Virtual Office London provides a free fast track business banking service for all Limited Company formations.A limited company in the UK should have a business bank account to show all the income and expenditure of the account. This makes it a lot easier as opposed to using a personal account, as the transactions are kept separate making it easier for your accounts.A limited company has to complete annual returns and tax returns which are legal requirements from Companies House and HMRC. A dedicated business bank account for your Limited company is the best way to keep a record of all your transactions, making it a lot easier to do your accounting as and when its needed.Your Virtual Office London have teamed up with Barclays to provide all clients with a free fast track business bank account. We have helped over 1000 clients start up with a Barclays bank account which are free and come with excellent benefits such as the following:A few of the Barclay's Business Bank Account Features:

• Free Business baking without charges for upto 12 months.
• A necessary introduction meeting at a Barclays bank of your choice.
• A free debit card, cheque book and safety chip and pin reader for online baking
• Free online banking, mobile apps for your phone, text alerts and paper statements.

I would like to go take your free business bank account up, what next?All Your Virtual Office London clients are able to apply for this offer. If you have a Limited Company and you would like to apply please contact us.Once we receive your details we will inform Barclays of your interest and they will the get in contact with you, its that simple.

In the UK many companies tend to use a trading name to operate under. The company trading name is different to a Limited Company name. Many businesses prefer to operate under a different name and there are many reasons why they would choose to do this.Firstly a company may have different operations, this means they may be running multiple businesses but under the main Limited Company. In this instance it would make more sense to have different names for each business to help give them a brand and identity.Secondly many businesses have a website address and choose to trade under this name, as the company name may be to long or they chose to go for a more memorable website name.There are issues with trading as names, first of all is the Business Names Act 1985 which states there are legal requirements that a Limited company must adhere too. First of all is that the trading name cant be similar to another company name which could then mislead customers. Secondly sensitive words are not allowed to be used, this are words such as “group”, “frederation” and so on.We would always recommend you do you research first, when you form a limited company check out the competition. If you are planning to use a trading name, run a company search and see if there are any competitors who are using this name.Your Virtual Office London are company formation experts. We have formed many thousands of companies over many decades. If you are unsure of anything you have read please do get in contact with us, we are always happy to help. If you would like more advice on trading names, limited company formation or one of our other services we have a professional team ready to take your call.

Want to increase the profits of their business but find it difficult due to the strong competition that exists? You should know that to make a business add value, you must make your business competitive in the market.Value added is a feature or extra service that is given to a product or service, in order to provide greater value. It must be an unusual feature or service that differentiates your business or company from the competition.Many times we try to increase sales by making offering incentives such as discounts; however a good way to not compromise on price is to offer added value. This will make your customers feel fulfilled and satisfied to have got something more from their purchase.

Here are some suggestions and recommendations on how to make a business more profitable through adding value:

• Try to give something to those who visit your business: keep in mind that whenever someone crosses your door and visits your company, this is a golden opportunity to make the business more profitable by adding value. You can offer gifts for visitors that needn`t be anything expensive, such as chocolates, calendars, or a simple reminder to make the visit more enjoyable.
• Encourage your employees to uphold the proper treatment of clients: it`s good to take care to train and motivate your employees so that they always provide a smile and friendly service to customers. You can be sure they will appreciate it and increase the chances that they make purchases, return in the future and give good recommendations on your business.
• You can provide service delivery. If this is not part of your policy, then it relates to the possibility of offering home delivery of your products. Although it is clear that the implementation of this service represent a higher cost and you should evaluate it before offering it, it could represent a significant edge over your competition.
• Try to reduce the waiting time of your customers. If your business is such that people have to wait for treatment or for your products, you can make a business more profitable by adding value in the reduction of time. You could offer a more comfortable way of waiting by introducing coffee, a glass of water, a magazine or newspaper of the day` all to make your customers feel more relaxed when waiting to be served.
• You can send notes or calls of thanks: a good way to add value to your products or services is to express how important it is to have customers like them and they will appreciate the confidence in your business.

Here are some examples of how to a business can be more profitable by adding value:

• A restaurant that offers customers a special area for children, where free child care is provided and there are different games for children.
• A supermarket supplying fruits and vegetables can be offered previously cleaned, peeled, cut, and presented in special packaging to be consumed in an easier way for customer.
• A gift shop that not only sells but also handles wrapped goods and sends it to the person who`s made the order.
• A machine shop that not only gives us the car repaired, but completely cleans it and undergoes basic maintenance.

Final recommendations for adding value:

Adding value in your company is not just about offering anything, making arbitrary decisions or offering it just as a giveaway, but should be a carefully planned strategy and focused purely on customer satisfaction. It should be noted that you need to handle the added value sparingly because when you offer a gift or something extra the first time, your customers will expect it as an integral part of your service every time they visit your business.Your Virtual Office London can help create your company and provide the right tools for you to manage it efficiently. We provide leading mail forwarding, an office address in London and company formation services to start up businesses. Having worked in the small business sector for over 30 years, yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk are experts in providing advice when and where its needed. If you need help or advice please get in touch with us or please read our informative business blog.

Many customers often ask what they main differences are between our Mail Forwarding London address (London office address) and a Registered Office Address. There are clear and marked differences between both types of address service, each client will have a different requirement based on their circumstance. What category do you fit into?

Mail Forwarding London Address Service

Our London Mail Forwarding service is for trading active businesses who expect to receive real business post to the London address we provide. For example you work from home selling items on eBay, and you would like to use our prestigious London mail forwarding address to help you appear more established. Our mail forwarding address is ideal for this very purpose, it allows you to place our address on your correspondence which could include your website, letter heads and business cards.Any post that would be sent to this mail forwarding address would then be forwarded to your own address, alternatively you can then pick the post up from our office location in City Road, London.The mail forwarding service suits a variety of business, from startups to homeworkers who wish to appear larger and more established. Its also a very good way of gaining access to the London market, companies will list a London address to make it appear they have multiple office addresses which they operate from. There are many benefits to using our mail forwarding service, its importnat to know the service is completely confidential and it does help to stop any unwanted callers turning up at your physical office location.

A Registered office Address Service

The registered office address is solely for Companies such as a Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships, not sole traders. The registered office is a legal requirement that all Limited Companies must have; when registering a Limited Company for the first time you will need to input the registered office address. This is the address where the company is legally registered at. All statutory state mail from Companies House and HMRC will then be sent to this registered office address. If you use our address service we forward all mail free to you, our registered office address allows you to use our City Road, EC1 address in London as opposed to your own address. Again this will have many benefits such as protecting your residential address, its a prestigious central London address so it will instantly help to impress any clients researching your business.

Do I need both services?

Well if you are a Limited Company then it could be beneficial for you, if your a sole trader or personal client then you would just need our mail forwarding service, not the registered office address. A Limited company would benefit from both services as it would show that the legal registered office address is at the same location as your trading address helping to give the impression your business is established and fully active in a central London location.

Why use Your Virtual Office London?

Well there are many good reasons why you should Your Virtual Office London services; Our expert team has over 100 years industry experience and have clients who have been with us for over 15 years. Our history and client base speaks volumes about our company, we value our customers and they value the service we provide. Our services are affordable and we have been ensuring that our prices are as competitive as ever. We pride ourselves in fast turnaround times and a professional and efficient service, if you want advice its free to all clients, get in touch with us today.