How to check company names for your start-up

Had that bright idea? Raised some money from your friends and family? Thought of a fantastic name for your start-up? That’s all very well and good, but is that company name available?

Let me introduce you to my special friend, Betty, the Twitter bot that can do that for you. Simply tweet the name of a company you’d like to register at @GoLtd, and Betty will toodle off into Companies House and get back to you within two minutes.

As the blog on the page of the company responsible for Betty says, you should ‘think of her like a Twitter-based Siri, but without the potty mouth… Quite.

Six easy steps to set up a UK business – Part Three

So, you’ve incorporated your company, you can tell everybody you’re a CEO and the gigs are starting to come in, what do you do next?

The first and most important thing is don’t expect to be paid on time. It is galling that for much of the time you’ll be waiting for money, you’ll be expecting money on a certain date and it won’t be forthcoming. That’s why people stay in jobs, the money is regular and the bills can be scheduled. When you run your own business there will be uncertainty as well as glorious freedom and entrepreneurship. Continue reading