The Happy Accountant

Before giving your customer credit, it is advisable to do some checks.  Below, in no particular order are some of the checks that could be made:

request a bank reference
request trade references
check the limited company’s details against Companies House
credit reference check
analysis of customer’s year-end accounts

You can ask for bank references, trade references (from your prospective customer’s [...]

If you give your customers credit (and most businesses do), it’s important to get your invoicing and customer payments systems in order.  The obvious benefit is to aid cash flow and it is the first step to good credit control and fewer bad debts.
Some while ago, I posted about some basic details that need to be [...]

As soon as you list your business in directories and telephone books, register a limited company or otherwise publicise your business, it can generate an overwhelming amount of unsolicited mail and cold-calling.
It has been possible for some time, to register a residential address and telephone number for the mail preference service and telephone preference service.  Companies must check that the addresses/telephone [...]

HMRC publishes an introduction and a list of guiding questions to help you to decide whether you fall inside or outside IR35.
You will need to examine whether IR35 applies on a “contract by contract” basis.  It is possible to have some contracts within IR35 and some outside IR35
The circumstances of your “intermediary” is also a [...]

IR35 was first propsed in 1999 and was introduced into UK legislation in 2000. The primary aim has been to prevent the avoidance of tax and national insurance by trading through an intermediary (commonly a limited company) rather than being an employee.
Prior to IR35, individuals could form a limited company and invoice their “client”/”employer” and [...]

It is generally possible to register as an employer by telephone or email (if special circumstances apply, you may have to register via and HMRC office).  Either way, you will need the following information to hand:

general information about yourself and your company (including your national insurance number and UTR number - unique taxpayer reference number)
information [...]

As soon as you take anyone on where any of the following conditions apply, you need to register with HMRC as an employee.

the employee already has another job
the employee receives a pension (state or occupational)
the employee will earn at or over the PAYE (tax) threshold
the employee will earn at or over the lower earnings threshold [...]

It is quite common to offer a settlement discount to customers who pay within a certain timescale.  The main reason for offering such a discount is to aid cash flow.  However, do not miss the sales/marketing advantage that this also offers:  Make sure that all your customers are aware that you are offering a settlement [...]

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People to tell: 

Your customers
Your employees
 Your suppliers
Your bank
HMRC (the tax man)
Professional bodies/trade associations

 Other things to do:

maximise the marketing opportunity
change your business stationery
obtain a new domain name and relaunch your website.
update all your advertisements

The other method of changing the name of a limited company is by written resolution.
This is a resolution passed unanimously by the members (shareholders) of a company.  All the members are then required to sign and date the document.
A Change of Name by Written Resolution form (NC20) is also available for download at the Companies House [...]