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How-To Guides

Name A Company Using The Company Name Search Register

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When a limited company is formed the founding subscribers and directors will decide the company name which when submitted forms part of the company registration..
First of all the last word in the name for company must be limited, unlimited or public limited company depending upon the type of company being formed. Accepted abbreviations of the name of company are accepted, those abbreviations typically being ltd and plc.
Company names can be rejected by Companies House for a number of reasons, the principal reason being that the name already exists on the company name register. When considering if a name is similar to another then punctuation and insignificant words such as the, and etc., would be ignored.
Name a company that sounds the same but contains a different spelling may be accepted. For example if Read Limited exists on the company names register and Reed Limited does not the proposal to name a company Reed Limited would be acceptable. If the name could be interpreted as misleading due to similarity of an existing name then that name would not be acceptable.
A name company adopts also be rejected if it is proposed to name a company including the words, limited, unlimited or public limited company occurs in the company name and not as the last word.
Other words which are not acceptable include investment company with variable capital, open ended investment company and the abbreviation SE. A company name would also be rejected if that name was deemed offensive or using a proposed name would be a criminal offence.
Names which include certain words are also rejected unless approved by government. Any name which suggests affiliation to a local authority or central government should be avoided. While the use of words indicating banking activity do not require to be approved using such words should be avoided as using such a name might well contravene other legislation relating to financial services requiring the business to be authorised.
When a company name is accepted the acceptance and inclusion in the company name register does not protect the new company from objecting to that name on the grounds of similarity. If such an objection was successful then a company name change would be required. In addition should a name indicate the activities of another company that other company can take legal action to prevent the use of the company name.
Should the chosen company name be similar to a registered trade mark that name could be accepted onto the company name register but would not protect the company from legal action to prevent that name being used. Having the name registered on the company name register would not constitute a defence should legal action be taken by the trade mark holder.
Before a company name is proposed for either registration or a change from an existing name it is strongly advised to carry out a company name search with the Companies House register of company names.. The company name register is arranged in alphabetical order and when the proposed name is entered to conduct a company name search the company name register defaults to those names which may be similar.
The chosen company name is registered when submitted on the Companies House company formation form 10 and accepted by Companies House. Following the company registration the incorporation certificate containing the company name is issued by Companies House.
TerryCartwrightPhoto.JPGTerry Cartwright qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant and Chartered Company Secretary in 1971. A successful business career followed as Head of Finance for major companies in the UK and several consultancy appointments. In 2006 he created DIY Accounting producing Accounting Software for self employed and small companies that use simple accounts spreadsheets to automate tax returns.

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Newsletter

BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 80

BIZNESS! Newsletter
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Cover Story
Vegawatt: The Green Voltage
Going green is all the rage now, and what better way to help power a restaurant than using grease from the very same kitchen? Vegawatt was developed by the Owl Power Company, a clean energy system company based in Massachusetts, and was launched this month. Vegawatt units won’t provide all the power and electricity that a business needs, but can significantly improve its carbon footprint…
Continued in BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 80 >>>
Top Stories From CoolBusinessIdeas.com
– iPill
– Tilly-Miss Vending Machine
– Ecocabs
– Wine Bottles Dipped in Chocolate
– Home Stylists
– Green Leafy Building
– Single Spot Camping Site
Continue reading these top stories in the BIZNESS! Newsletter >>>
Top Stories From GetEntrepreneurial.com
– Top 7 Practical SEO Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs
– How Virtual Assistants Can Amplify Your Business Marketing
– Recession – Time To Hire More Salesmen
– Speakers – Embrace your Inner Actor!
– Multiply And Create More Value In Your Career Or Business
– Humour in the Workplace
– Where’s The Next Great Idea?
Continue reading these top stories in the BIZNESS! Newsletter >>>

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Categories
Business Ideas

Where’s The Next Great Idea?

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Article Contributed by Karen S. Sieczka
Do you know where your organization will be in the next 2-5 years? Will it still even exist? If it does, how will it look? One thing is certain, you will need new ideas to survive and thrive–Ideas for new or improved products, better or new services, and ideas to increase productivity and lower production costs.
So, where’s the next great idea? It could be right under your nose and your employees may hold the key. Your employees can be a potential idea goldmine. We just need to give them the tools, the encouragement, and the opportunity to get the idea process flowing.
What would you do with equipment that only worked at 5-10% of its capabilities? Something would need to change, wouldn’t it? It is estimated most of us only use about 5-10% of our brain’s amazing capabilities. So think about how much potential your employees have. Sometimes we forget to tap into this vast resource.
Most people are naturally curious and imaginative but may not feel comfortable sharing or we haven’t encouraged or given them an outlet for creativity. We haven’t asked them for ideas! What a lost opportunity!
So how do we ask? How do we encourage our staff to let the ideas flow? How do we help them build creative muscle? How do we give staff the creative tools they need to think outside the box? There are some simple, low-cost ways to make this happen.
Create friendly, internal competition
Why not create an internal market for ideas, a competitive atmosphere fostering creative thinking? Pose a challenge. Make a competition out of it. Put up a poster or flyer. Use phrases like… in what ways might we… or how could we…? Communicate this challenge to everyone in the organization, at the least, input across different divisions, departments, from different backgrounds. Give a specific starting point for ideas input.
Some workplaces have taken to using a request for proposal or RFP for ideas. Others use a venture planning tool kit containing a series of questions to start the ball rolling such as: Why should we invest in this idea? What are the potential markets for this idea? Is the idea ethically sound? Is it easy to explain? Will it be short or long term in its effect? Is it financially feasible? Will it bring about the desired results?
Build an idea website
Host the input of ideas on a company intranet site devoted to new ideas. or listed on a common network folder because one of the key elements of an idea campaign is that it is collaborative. When others see the ideas being posted, they can become inspired to build on the idea and create new ideas of their own. Advertise heavily that website is available and ready to be used by all.
Put up an idea board
An idea board is as simple as a bulletin board in a frequently visited area such as a cafeteria or break room and has three basic categories: one for issues, problems, or concerns, one for possible answers, and one for management to put information about ideas that were implemented.
For example, an employee is having a recurring problem with a process, he can post it on the board where all staffers can see it, think about it, and offer suggestions to fix or change the process. At certain intervals, management should make a point of collecting the ideas and updating the board to show what was done or used to improve the situation.
Use examples of others’ creativity, innovation, and idea process as a starter
Creativity comes in many varieties. There are myriad examples of ordinary people facing a challenge or need and coming up with a solution or finding a new, improved process for something—an idea, an innovation. They are often known as inventors. It has happened many times throughout history and still happens today.
Want to jumpstart the creative process? Take a closer look at inventors and innovators, both historic and recent. Get to know their stories. Study their methods. Share stories to start a meeting or begin a brainstorming session. Collect stories of your own to use as examples.
Don’t forget to ask for ideas!
Sometimes we forget to ask for ideas; problem is if we don’t ask, they often won’t tell! Most of us have one thing in common at work and in life—we want to use all of our talents but because of fear, ignorance or simply because we were never asked, we hide our potential, let our enthusiasm get trampled, and just spend the work day going through the motions.
As managers and supervisors, we should strive to create an organizational culture that celebrates effort and embraces positive expectations. When staff know it’s okay to try something new, they are more likely to come up with new ideas. Encourage the flow of new ideas with this simple method: ASK for ideas! And then keeping asking for ideas!
Do something with those ideas! Ideas without execution = 0
For those of you in management, here’s another barrier to ideas, never putting them to use. Oh, it’s great to gather all those grand plans your people come up with but do you look at them (or not) and then put them in the “round” file?
Do a little research and think about some of those silly or small ideas that turned into huge moneymakers. Things like Cabbage Patch dolls or the guy who figured out people would rather buy their bread sliced. Consider: Will this idea fill a niche that no one is serving?
It is silly enough to be a fad? Don’t dismiss fads—they can generate big bucks too. Think Pet Rock. Think friendship bracelets. Think Rubik’s Cube. Think Koosh Ball. Think WWJD. So, how much is this “silly” idea worth??????
Remember, an idea with no execution has no value!
If people offer ideas and they never get executed, you can bet the ideas will eventually start drying up because everyone thinks, why bother? They will probably also go to work for a competitor or go on their own and run with it. Get the picture? Steve Wozniak, one of founders of Apple Computer, left his job at HP, to develop the personal computer, after his bosses discouraged the idea. Their loss, huh?
Ideas = money and happier employees stay around longer and produce more!
Cultivate your human talent. It is ready and waiting to be unleashed. Show staff how to build idea muscle, inspire them, and your organization will mine the creative potential within, uncovering the next great idea.
About the Author
Karen S. Sieczka is a training consultant and founder of Growing Great Ideas.com. Her latest training program is Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing Creativity at Work. The program generates ideas, enthusiasm, and teamwork and can be customized to address particular organizational issues or challenges. This article is an excerpt from her new book Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing Creativity at Work, now available at LULU.com for download or print version.

Categories
Online Business

How Virtual Assistants Can Amplify Your Business Marketing

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Article Contributed by Stephanie Fish
Perhaps you’ve got a small business and it’s been thriving with your own marketing and research efforts. But if you want to boost your business marketing, consider the services of a virtual assistant.
Virtual assistants who’ve been trained and experienced in marketing research and business marketing — particularly through the Internet — can be invaluable to growing your business. It would take time for you to learn and do everything yourself, time that you could put to better use by focusing on the aspects of your business that you enjoy and are an expert at.
For example, not everyone is adept at using Web 2.0 for business marketing. Besides, it can eat up a lot of your time every day. Wouldn’t you rather use that time to develop your business in other ways or even relax and enjoy your family?
Here are a few marketing and research tasks that a virtual assistant can perform for you:
* promote your business in social networking sites, a very time-consuming task
* produce a podcast which will expand your business’ web presence
* look at competitors’ websites and report on what they’re doing – so you can analyze what your competitors’ approaches and come up with strategies to outdo them
* find information you need to grow your business, such as identify affiliate programs that are relevant to your business and could increase your market reach
* look for websites or blogs relevant to your business where it might be profitable for you to advertise your products or services
Could you do all this yourself and still live the life you want? Probably not. Yet these things could take your business to the next level and ultimately increase your income. You should certainly be familiar with these processes in order to effectively hire and supervise somebody to do them for you. However, you don’t have to do them yourself.
Let a virtual assistant declutter your mind of the minute but essential details of business marketing and research. Then you can focus on work that have greater impact on your business, such as monitoring and evaluating your marketing efforts and those of your competitors, formulating strategies, and mapping out growth directions.
About the Author
Stephanie Fish is the owner of Buckeye V.A, she works from her home office in Ohio. After completing her Associate of Applied Business Degree from KSU,she launched her own virtual assistance business. To learn how Buckeye V.A. can help your business please visit http://www.buckeyeva.com

Categories
Sales & Marketing

Recession – Time To Hire More Salesmen

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Article Contributed by Guy Kingston
It might seem crazy to be talking about hiring – yes, hiring – more staff in a recession. Most companies are worrying about having to lay people off.
It might seem doubly insane, in one sense at least, to be talking of hiring in the sales department of all places. After all, when you have to make cuts, you must make them first of all in the variable costs rather than the fixed costs of a business – and a properly run sales department should be the ideal example of a variable cost. It should cost more when sales are high and less when they are low. Indeed, in theory, the perfect sales department would be based entirely on commission so that it would cost nothing if there were no sales, and expenditure would rise in direct proportion with income.
The reality is that sales demand some prior investment. Even the best salesmen are reluctant to rely entirely on commission. They know their value to a business and are usually confident enough to demand a basic salary up front. The only people prepared to work for commission only are the desperate. It is therefore one of several paradoxes in sales that those who are most likely to be able to live on commission alone are the very people who are most likely to demand more than just commission.
Since you do not want your business to be represented by losers – even losers who cost nothing up front – you need to reconcile yourself to paying a basic salary to your sales staff before they sell anything.
So, in practice, the sales department is not the variable cost that it should be in theory.
Yet it is still a cost, and in a recession, one should cut costs – right?
Not necessarily. A business should always be looking for opportunities to cut surplus expenditure in order to maximise its cost effectiveness, and its competitiveness in terms of price. This should be a constant discipline and it is obviously particularly important in time of recession.
However, it should be equally obvious that it is false economy to cut expenditure that is necessary for the proper operation of the business. After all, the only business with zero expenditure is a business that is not doing business.
So simply reducing costs is not the correct response to a recession. It may be necessary in the short term, but in the longer term it can only lead to oblivion.
The alternative to decreasing costs is increasing income. In fact, a good recession strategy will contain elements of both.
Increasing income means investing more in sales. This may sound risky but it is actually more risky to do nothing. In a recession competition becomes tighter. You must fight harder for every customer. As business becomes ever more ruthless, you must fight to keep your customers and to pick up any new customers who might still have money to spend. To invest less in sales at such a time means losing customers to those who invest more.
Remember that there are new customers to be found even in a recession. When a company goes bust, its customers do not die suddenly of neglect. Most are still alive, still solvent, and still spending. They will probably be looking for a new supplier of whatever the fallen company provided. That is an opportunity for its competitors.
On the supply side, recession is also an excellent time to pick up experienced sales staff from bankrupt competitors. Such people usually bring with them address books full of former customers and other useful contacts.
Of course, spending more money on sales staff in a recession is a risk. Yet all investment in business is a risk. Recessions do not alter the rules of the game. They simply makes the odds tighter. Competitors become more competitive, and the chances of failure increase – but so do the rewards of success for those who keep their nerve.
About the Author
Guy Kingston produces and presents the Mind Your Own Business podcast, offering free business advice to entrepreneurs and business owners. As well as audio podcasts there are more articles like this, compelling videos and a must-read blog. All at www.myobpod.com or you can network and join in discussions on the MYOB Facebook group.