Since we offer Virtual Business Addresses, we are often asked by our client which details they should include on their stationery.
We’ve put together an easy guide which should help you understand your legal obligations. Non-compliance is a criminal offense, punishable by fines.
The company is legally liable for any breach of the rules. Its officials or any person acting on behalf of the company, who distribute or sign non-compliant documentation, can be personally liable.
Stationery & Other Documents for Limited Companies
Please note:
Charitable Companies don’t have to include the word ‘charity’ or ‘charitable in their name. However, if you chooses not to, you must state it is a charity on a variety of its correspondence and other documentation.
“Company name” means the name of the company as on the company’s Certificate of Incorporation, including “Limited”, “Ltd”, “LTD”, “public limited company”, “plc” (or Welsh equivalents) and “where registered” means “England & Wales” or “Scotland”, depending on where your company’s registered office is located.
“Companies with a trading name” means companies with a place of business in Great Britain and carrying business in Great Britain under a name other than their registered company name, eg. My Shop Limited, trading as “Great Clothes”.
“An address for service” means an address at which service of any document relating in any way to the business will be effective.
There is no need to list the directors’ names on stationery but if you do, you must then list every director. Their first name(s) or initial(s), and surname, of individual directors, and the full name of corporate directors, must be given. You don’t need to mention share capital on stationery but, if you do so, you must specify the company’s paid-up share capital.
If you are at serious risk of violence or intimidation because of the activities of a company or LLP of which you are an officer, you can apply for your service address to be made unavailable for public inspection.
Premises for Limited Companies
Please note:
“Companies with a trading name” means companies with a place of business in Great Britain and carrying business in Great Britain under a name other than their registered company name, eg. My Shop Limited, trading as “Great Clothes”.
The company name must be painted or affixed to the outside of the premises, conspicuously and legibly.
For companies with a trading name, the name should also appear in a prominent place inside the premises, so it can easily be read by customers and suppliers.
Stationery & Other Documents for Sole Traders & Partnerships
Please note:
A trading name means any name used for business purposes that is not the name of the sole trader or all of the partners, eg John Smith trading as “Smithy’s”.
“An address for service” means an address at which service of any document relating in any way to the business will be effective.
If a partnership has more than 20 partners, it can (instead of including all partners’ names on documents) keep a list of the partners at its main place of business, and include a (legible) statement on each document that the list is open for inspection at that place, and the address. That list must be available for inspection during office hours.
If a person, during the course of doing or discussing business with the sole trader or partnership, asks for the name(s) and address for service in writing, these must be given to him immediately.
Premises for Sole Traders & Partnerships
We would encourage every business to disclose all their contact information on websites and any other literature. Avoiding to put full contact details could mean loosing business.
Would you purchase goods or services over the internet without details on how to return the goods or with a clear way of contacting the business if things go wrong? The likely answer to this is a resounding NO.
If you don’t want to use your home address which of course isn’t the safest thing to do, you can make use of a virtual address or virtual office. Some providers will also be able to offer you a telephone answering service which will help you look much more established and professional.
