[Alan Rowley]

When we set up our business, we were going to be a limited company but, for one reason or another, we decided that I would be a sole trader with my business partner an employee.

We haven't registered our business name yet as it hasn't been necessary, but I think that I ought to register it to prevent other companies setting up with a similar name and gaining customers based on our reputation. I know this happens as I have picked up a couple of customers because they thought we were someone else.

 

What do I do to protect our name?

[Dust Knights]

I very much doubt that you could register/trademark your company name Alan as a company called We Clean Ltd (based in Birmingham) already exists. Too close to your name to get it passed by the trademark brokers.

Maybe the customers you picked up thought you were We Clean Ltd.

If they have trade marked their name (unlikely) you could be in trouble.

Chris

[heritagecleaning]

Alan

Your website says you have a 'Registered Office' yet you say you are a sole trader. How's that work then?


Owen

[paul bruce]

On the patent office website trade mark search ,nothing similar comes up for your company name or the "we clean ltd" name.
Obviously "We clean ltd" shows on companies house as does " We clean 4u "

 As for registering your company name as a trade mark ,I tend to think the words are to generic to stand a chance of being approved.
There is a cost of £200 to register name with patent office and it takes a few month to find out if your application has being approved.Money is not returned if it is refused.
 

 

[Samuel]

The National Business Registry Plc.
Somerset House
40-49 Price Street
Birmingham
B4 6LZ


Web:  www.start.biz

Tel: 0121 678 9000

One year cost to register and protect your business name is £70.50

Click on the above site, then click on 'Business names'. Type the name you wish to check and wait for the results.

As Pangash says, WE CLEAN 4U Ltd (no. 05898916) is the nearest match so you've got no worries. Just make sure to register your name quickly.

[paul bruce]

Less expensive to go direct to companies house website than via the start biz method.As far as i can see the £70.50 fee is a additional payment you would still have to pay companies house through them and according to the start biz price list this is £400 unless i am reading it wrong.
Either way at the end of the day only companies house can rubber stamp an application not an outside company.

[Cleaning Resource]

dg i would take it as a compliment you picked a name so many others want to use,
plus it shows what your competition is like, if they can`t even come up with an original name for their business I doubt they are going to be very inspirational with their marketing strategies either.................

[Samuel]

Less expensive to go direct to companies house website than via the start biz method.As far as i can see the £70.50 fee is a additional payment you would still have to pay companies house through them and according to the start biz price list this is £400 unless i am reading it wrong.
Either way at the end of the day only companies house can rubber stamp an application not an outside company.

The National Business Registry is entirely legitimate. Companies House only register businesses that are trading as 'Limited companies'.
If you are trading as a sole trader or a partner then you don't have to register with Companies House.
The £70.50 fee is a flat rate fee that you pay each year to protect your business name. The £400 is to register your trademark for ten years and can take up to six months to do the search as trade marks are global sensitive.

[John Kelly]

Having your business partner as an employee is a strange way to operate and not very tax efficient.

[Alan Rowley]

Having your business partner as an employee is a strange way to operate and not very tax efficient.

There are personal reasons for that decision John. Too complex and confidential to discuss here.