Changing business name

Cottonlung · Jan 16, 2019

Hi all, I'm considering changing my business name but not sure of the procedure the .gov website doesn't clearly state the process to my eyes anyway.. is it just a case of notifying HMRC of the name change and that's it? Or does changing the name of the business come with a ballache of a process? For example your business is now classed as new or is it just as simple as a change of trading name..

Thanks, j

RWCleaning · Jan 16, 2019

Good question, I’ve thought about changing my business name as well before.

Part Timer · Jan 16, 2019

As far as I know if you're a sole trader you can call yourself whatever you like as in the eyes of HMRC you are Joe Bloggs trading as!!! All they want is your annual earnings and nett profit.

Cottonlung · Jan 16, 2019

RWCleaning said:
Good question, I’ve thought about changing my business name as well before.

Cheers Ryan! Yeah it dawned on me the other day when a customer asked if I knew any one that cleaned gutters out.... errrr ta-daaaa ?.. but even though my business cards etc clearly state I offer other cleaning services I'm thinking of dropping the "window cleaning" with " cleaning services"

Part Timer said:
As far as I know if you're a sole trader you can call yourself whatever you like as in the eyes of HMRC you are Joe Bloggs trading as!!! All they want is your annual earnings and nett profit.

Ok great stuff thank you.. just thought I'd check

RWCleaning · Jan 16, 2019

Cottonlung said:
Cheers Ryan! Yeah it dawned on me the other day when a customer asked if I knew any one that cleaned gutters out.... errrr ta-daaaa ?.. but even though my business cards etc clearly state I offer other cleaning services I'm thinking of dropping the "window cleaning" with " cleaning services"

Exactly the same mate! On my cards, van, and on the back of my invoice slips if they’re out. What business name you thinking?

Cottonlung · Jan 16, 2019

RWCleaning said:
Exactly the same mate! On my cards, van, and on the back of my invoice slips if they’re out. What business name you thinking?

Not exactly sure yet, but I need to drop the window cleaning as some narrow minded people may think that's all you do if they can't read, and if you do Get offered the chance to do extra work your only the window cleaner so it's a peanuts and a brew type of payment.. if that makes sense.. nothing wrong with ending the business name in window cleaning as I have for 11 years but to me it's not reflecting the direction I'm aiming to go.

RWCleaning · Jan 16, 2019

Cottonlung said:
Not exactly sure yet, but I need to drop the window cleaning as some narrow minded people may think that's all you do if they can't read, and if you do Get offered the chance to do extra work your only the window cleaner so it's a peanuts and a brew type of payment.. if that makes sense.. nothing wrong with ending the business name in window cleaning as I have for 11 years but to me it's not reflecting the direction I'm aiming to go.

Yeh I’m with you. I thinking of using the words ‘exterior(s)’ ‘All clean’ or something in the name.

I went with the most simple ‘Ryan’s window cleanjng’ And overall its been fine, but ‘Ryan’s exterior cleaning’ or just ‘All round cleaning’ or something like that does tickle way with me sometimes.

Or to really push the boat out, what about ‘lime green pro clean ltd’ ??

Cottonlung · Jan 16, 2019

RWCleaning said:
Yeh I’m with you. I thinking of using the words ‘exterior(s)’ ‘All clean’ or something in the name.

I went with the most simple ‘Ryan’s window cleanjng’ And overall its been fine, but ‘Ryan’s exterior cleaning’ or just ‘All round cleaning’ or something like that does tickle way with me sometimes.

Or to really push the boat out, what about ‘lime green pro clean ltd’

It should be really simple to choose a name but it's turning into a head peck. Haha.. you may be onto something there ?

Part Timer · Jan 16, 2019

I appreciate the post is an attempt to wind up an elderly distinguished forum member, @Green Pro Clean Ltd, but if you're a Limited company then change of name is different.

Cottonlung · Jan 16, 2019

Part Timer said:
I appreciate the post is an attempt to wind up an elderly distinguished forum member, @Green Pro Clean Ltd, but if you're a Limited company then change of name is different.

Not at all, I'm asking a genuine question.

Part Timer · Jan 16, 2019

Cottonlung said:
Not at all, I'm asking a genuine question.

My reply was aimed @RWCleaningand his lime green pro clean name

scottish cleaning service · Jan 16, 2019

Window & PVC Cleaning or window cleaning & PVC

keep it simple

Nudel · Jan 16, 2019

I don't know about the UK laws, but in Norway and here in the Faroe Islands, advertising business name has no direct binding link to the actual legal registered name of your business.

Thus you can advertise with whatever name you want. Call yourself "bucket bob cleaning services" and the underlying company name could be "window bob pro" or whatever. You might have to write the legal name on your invoices, but who reads the small print.

Come to think of it, most big companies does this with the products they sell. There are a few often unknown, huge owners of all the tiny chocolate bar brands.

One reason for having your actual company name as the brand name is it claims the name in case if legal disputes. That is why I'm changing my company name to my domain name, instead of keeping it at "my-last-name services" as it is currently. Then if something with the domain goes awry I can claim right to the name more easily.

Cottonlung · Jan 16, 2019

Nudel said:
I don't know about the UK laws, but in Norway and here in the Faroe Islands, advertising business name has no direct binding link to the actual legal registered name of your business.

Thus you can advertise with whatever name you want. Call yourself "bucket bob cleaning services" and the underlying company name could be "window bob pro" or whatever. You might have to write the legal name on your invoices, but who reads the small print.

Come to think of it, most big companies does this with the products they sell. There are a few often unknown, huge owners of all the tiny chocolate bar brands.

One reason for having your actual company name as the brand name is it claims the name in case if legal disputes. That is why I'm changing my company name to my domain name, instead of keeping it at "my-last-name services" as it is currently. Then if something with the domain goes awry I can claim right to the name more easily.

That's good info thanks, kinda makes sense

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