Business names for your business – what you need to consider

Business names for your business – things to consider

One of the first things a budding entrepreneur will consider when starting a business, is business names – i.e. what to call the business.

If you intend to incorporate your business as a limited company, the registration process will filter out unacceptable names and names that are too similar to a company already registered at Companies House. However, this registration process can create situations where an existing company thinks that the name you have registered is too close to their own and may challenge you to change your company name.

If you set up as a sole trader there is no official registry of business names, but you must still be wary of using certain expressions.

In certain circumstances, you can write to a particular organisation or government department to get clearance to use a restricted name or phrase in a name.

For example, you should avoid, or seek to permission to use, the use of the words: association, bank, British, charity, England, government, His or Her Majesty, institute, King, mutual, NHS, patent, police, Post Office, Queen, registrar or regulator, society, Trade Union, trust, tribunal, and University.

This list is by no means complete. There is a fairly comprehensive list of names and expressions to avoid on the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/incorporation-and-names/annex-a-sensitive-words-and-expressions-or-words-that-could-imply-a-connection-with-government.

Another important point to bear in mind when choosing a business name is what domain name you will be choosing for your website and email. It’s best to check with one of the main domain name providers what names are still available. One thing I often see is organisations that choose ridiculously long domain names that are difficult to spell. This makes it much more likely that an email address or website URL will be typed incorrectly making it difficult and frustrating for potential customers to use or remember.

If you need advice we can help here at THP. We have advised numerous businesses on how best to set up and run a new business. Please call to arrange an initial consultation, with offices in  Sutton, Chelmsford, Wanstead, and Saffron Walden.