Registered Design FAQ’s

WHAT CAN BE A REGISTERED DESIGN? 

A registered design can be the particular look, shape, configuration or ornamentation of a product(s).

DO I NEED TO REGISTERED DESIGN? 

This depends on if you have something unique that you would like to protect. A registered design may become essential to your business in the future and save a lot of headaches down the road. If you are unsure regarding anything to do with registered designs our expert team with over 30 years’ brand protection experience are on hand to advise. Call us on 0800 069 9090 or drop us an email to mitch@start.biz to find out more.

ARE ALL REGISTERED DESIGNS REGISTERABLE? 

No, a registered design will not be accepted if it is not distinctive enough. We will advise in our report ways in which you can make your design more distinctive and help you with your application.

IS A REGISTERED DESIGN EFFECTIVE WORLDWIDE? 

No, a registered design is only effective in the country where the design is registered. However, there are several International Conventions that exist which assists clients who wish to register a design in more than one country with one single application which are more cost effective than obtaining separate national registrations.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE REGISTERED DESIGN CLEARANCE SEARCHES? 

Registered design novelty searches are particularly important as they are the first step to determining whether the design you wish to use, and register is available to do so. We strongly recommend that, to avoid any potential conflict between your proposed design and any existing confusingly similar designs, that you instruct us to carry out a comprehensive registered design search on your behalf.

CAN I AMEND MY REGISTERED DESIGN AFTER SUBMISSION? 

No, once an application has been submitted it cannot be altered except for the owner’s name and address. It is important your application is as accurate as possible.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO OBTAIN A DESIGN REGISTERED IN THE UK? 

The initial registration process takes around 2-3 months to complete.

HOW LONG DOES A DESIGN REGISTRATION LAST? 

A registered design is renewable every 5 years for a maximum registration period of 25 years.

HOW MUCH DOES A REGISTERED DESIGN COST? 

The application fee is dependent on the number of designs included in one application. For example, it is possible to file a multi-design application in the United Kingdom. A UK design application containing one design costs £300; a UK multi-design application containing up to 10 designs costs £550 and UK multi-design application containing up to 20 designs costs £750.

How to Find a Premises for your Business

You’ve decided you do want to have a bricks and mortar location but you’re not sure where to start. We’ve outlined the foundation for your business property.

1. Make a specification for your ideal premises considering internal and external factors. 

You may not find a location/building that ticks all the boxes but aiming for as close as possible is the best place to start. This will also make it clear for you what is non-negotiable and what can be compromised on or worked towards in the future. Factors to include in your specification should be
Location. Evaluate this not only in terms of your customers but also employees and suppliers.
Transport & parking facilities. Again, this should be considered in terms of customer access and employee.
Requirements of the building to carry out business. Depending on the nature of your business you will need the building to work in different ways, think very practically about the space, power points, equipment, ventilation etc when making this list.
Legal issues. If the building already has permissions for your businesses ‘user class’ moving in and alterations you may want to make in the future will be less complicated.
Type of tenure. Your options are license, lease or buy. We will go into further detail on these below.
As you would when looking for a place to live, set you maximum price, including taxes and fees and stick to it.

2. Should I license, lease or buy my work premises? 

As with everything this very much depends on the nature of your business and your plans for the future.
Licenses are short-term contracts (usually 2 years), can be in serviced buildings, have subsides from local authorities to encourage small businesses to set up and have no legal fees. However, you may have to share your space or be asked to leave at short notice by the landlord. Also these spaces will probably not be suitable for a food or manufacturing business. If you just need office space and you’re just starting out this is a good place to start.
Leases are longer term commitments (3-25 years), more freedom to adapt the space, the landlord is liable for external building repairs and more types of properties on the market to choose from. You may want to build break clauses into the contract just in case and agree with the landlord on alterations you want to make before signing on the dotted line. You may also be required to return the property to its original state on vacating, e.g. removing equipment, putting walls back in if removed etc.
Buy freehold. Owning your own premises is more unusual but can be a great asset and mean you have a permanent location under your control. This is a more expensive option though with most commercial property mortgages requiring a 30% deposit.

3. Where do I look for commercial premises? 

You can go the traditional route and get an estate agent that specialises in commercial property however it may be wise to consider some alternatives. Use your personal contacts in an area and business advisors/mentors to find out about potential venues. Also check with your local authority, they will rent business space as well as domestic housing. With this same idea approach local organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce in your area who may be able to advise and help you find the perfect location. Finally, you can engage a chartered surveyor to carry out the search for you. Unlike estate agents who operate on the landlords’ behalf, a chartered surveyor will have your best interests as the priority. They will know the market well, present a short-list to save time and be experienced negotiators.

Resources for finding the perfect property 

Search for a surveyor at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) here.
Get thinking about the future, find out more at the Planning Portal about planning permission here.
Contact your local authority about the type of property you need and see what financial help is available to you.

How to Start an Online Business in the UK

With changing habits and lifestyles, people have become more aware of how they utilise their time. Online shopping has become increasingly popular over the past few years but never more so than in recent months where physical shops were forced to close their doors and selling and buying online was the only option.
Starting an online business will have some similarities to that of starting a traditional brick and mortar business and in addition there will be other factors to consider. The initial setting up of your business will depend on the type of business you intend to run, where you will be working and whether you will take on people to help.

Get your online business idea 

The first step would be to decide what kind of business you wish to set up. There are a number of websites available that you can use to help determine what kind of market you wish to operate in should you not already know. However, if you are thinking of setting up your own online business, more often than not you usually already have some kind of idea as to what you want to do.
Once you believe you have a viable business idea and have decided on your chosen product(s) or service, it is essential that you carry out market research extensively. By researching and testing out the market you will be able to determine whether your business idea has the potential to be successful or not. Market research can also help you plan your next steps and map out how to set up your business, giving you an idea of start-up costs and any kind of funding that may be available to you as well as helping to define your target audience, pricings you should set and of course who your competitors are.

Create a business plan 

After you have carried out your market research and feel you have a sufficient amount to be beneficial, you’ll need to create a business plan. This is a great way to pull together all that information you have collated and visualise how you see your business in one form of documentation. This will be your working document that you will be able to refer to and add or change over the course of its time. This is also paramount when you are trying to get funding for your business.
Also consider your social media and marketing plan, a presence online is very important and gets your brand out there to potential customers.
For more on how to create a business plan read our advice here and to learn more about how to put a business strategy together read more here.

Choose your online business model 

As you have now established what kind of online business you are going to set up, you need to ensure your online business model suits your plan and gives you a structure to work with. The two main options which tend to be the most popular are ‘sole trader’ or ‘limited company’.
A sole trader tends to be the best option for those people who are looking to start up a small business. You and your company are seen as one entity and therefore any profit or loss will affect your personal finances.
A Limited company will offer you protection as your company is seen as a separate entity giving you limited liability.
If for example you are intending on starting an online shop or selling a product(s), you’ll be operating on an ecommerce business model making revenue from sales.
There are various models that you can choose from but it’s important to pick the one that suits your and your business best.

Decide your business name and register 

Before you register your business, you’ll need to come up with a name. It’s important that you remember to make sure that both your business name and domain for your website are available. It will be much easier for customers to find your website if these match, if they are different, this can lead to confusion and even loss of business as your potential customers can be directed elsewhere.
You can easily check if your business name and domain name are available when National Business Registers search here. Learn more about registering and protecting your business name here.

Prepare for the costs of setting up an online business 

These will vary dramatically depending on the size of your start up business as well as the type of business that is being started. However, some of the costs that will need to be considered are:
How much it will cost to build an inventory of the products you will be selling.
The equipment you would need to use, for example, technical equipment.
The cost of building a website.
Marketing costs and possible outsourcing of this.
Company formation costs, if you decide to go with a limited company structure.
Domain cost, there is usually an annual fee behind this.

Build your website 

Whether you decide to do this yourself or outsource, the website you create should reflect your business and ensure you align your vision with the web developers. Consider the user experience (UX), this should be easy to navigate and use. The aesthetics and logo, ensure your site is appealing and organised and finally ensure your site is mobile friendly, a vast majority of people use their devices to access sites and this is only getting more popular.
If you will be selling goods, consider payment methods and how you will be charging your customers and what online payment system you will be integrating into your website.
There are many elements to consider when starting your own online business using this simple guide to get started can make all the difference and give you that added confidence boost you may need.

How to Start a Business (Limited Company)

8 steps to set up your limited company 

These steps will ensure you are compliant and correctly set up with the UK government as a limited company. You can operate as a sole trader which just requires you to register differently with HRMC.

1. Decide if forming a limited company is right got you 

Advantages of setting up as a limited company include; limitation of personal liability, professional status, beneficial tax efficiency and planning. However, drawbacks include; needing to do a more administration, publish your personal details publicly and you will have legal accounting requirements as a limited company. If you are looking to commit to a full-time, more professional venture that you will invest substantial time and effort in growing forming a limited company is a great option.

2. Register your business 

There are several steps to registering your business officially with the government, for advice and help with the process you can use a formation agent. They will save you time, money and stress so you can get to the fun part of running your new company! National Business Register have over 35 years experience forming companies, read more about their services here. You will need to decide on the name of your company, who and how many directors you will have and how many shares each director will have.

3. Employing someone as a limited business 

You will need to pay income tax and National Insurance contributions for each employee so will need to set up a PAYE. This government resource is a good directory for what you will need to cover if you have employees, it also takes you to details regarding your tax self assessment form – get bookmarking!
In terms of employment law – know your basics. A great site for basic legal documents is Rocket Lawyer.
ACAS is a goldmine of informative articles on everything from employment law to workplace Covid advice.
If you’re looking to contact a solicitor our accredited partners, Thursfields have the experience and legal expertise to guide you throughout the life cycle of your business. Read more here.

4. Get an accountant 

It is advisable you get an accountant as a limited business. You are legally required to submit yearly accounts to HRMC alongside your self-assessment forms and Confirmation Statements. Ask friends, fellow business owners and find out more about our accredited accounting partner, Stewart Associates, here.
Remember to keep organised and maintain detailed financial records of everything to do with your business. It may be boring and the last thing you want to do at the end of a busy day but future you (and your accountant!) will love you for doing it. Download your accounting software to your phone to keep organised even on the go.

5. Do you need to register for VAT? 

If your businesses turnover exceeds £85,000 per annum you have to be VAT registered, register here. If you are under this threshold registering is an extra process however it does mean you can claim VAT back on goods and services you use for your business. If you are setting up as a limited company you are probably quite serious about making a go of your business so if you don’t register for VAT (which gives you the ability to claim VAT back on items purchased for your business) you are effectively paying 20% more than you should for anything that includes VAT (which is most things). Just remember to keep those receipts!

6. Understand your tax 

Tax is one of the main factors that sway people to form a limited business. As a sole trader you can pay between 20%-45% tax on your profits whereas a director of a limited company will pay 19%. However don’t go mad spending 81% of your profits, there are other costs, especially with employees (see point 3) limited companies are responsible for. This is where having an accountant comes in really handy. Also having accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks or Sage will keep things organised on the go.

7. What insurance do I need? 

There are legal requirements for insurance but this decision is also influenced by the type of business you have and how much ‘peace of mind’ you want to pay for. We’ve outlined a few basic forms of insurance below to get you started.
Employers Liability Insurance – this is the only legally required form of insurance for a small business owner. This is to cover any employees that are injured whilst working for you. If you operate with no insurance and have staff working for you, there can be a penalty of £2,500 per day.
Management Liability Insurance (Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance) – this covers the individual directors personally rather than the business as a whole. This can be helpful if things do go wrong as directors are open to having claims of malpractice brought against them with potential fines, disqualification (this will mean you won’t be able to be a director of a future company) and even prison sentences. When taking out this insurance check your policy covers insolvency and large shareholders (over 15%) as many policies do not protect you in these cases.
Public Liability Insurance – this is to cover customer injury. Accidents do happen and not having this insurance if you have a shop/salon etc could be costly. Also note some clients and suppliers may request you have this insurance as part of your contract with them.
Contents and Portable Equipment Insurance – this covers all the technology and physical belongings you use to operate your business. If you are running your business from home and have contents insurance it’s worth checking the wording of your policy as some do not cover equipment used in a commercial capacity.
Professional Indemnity Insurance – this is for businesses that offer advice or consultancy services. This insurance will cover you if a client of yours makes a claim against you stating they have incurred financial loss after acting on your advice. In these industries clients may insist you have this form of insurance and it will help bolster your professional reputation if you do.
Cyber insurance – this will insure you against any claims made if you have a data breach. You should consider this insurance if you hold large amounts of customers data and/or sensitive customer data. This may become more important as you grow and will be valuable to have as you build the data on your customers to optimise your marketing strategy and potentially increase your product/service offering.

8. What are your responsibilities as director? 

The term director does come with some legal responsibilities. Alongside ensuring your business is compliant e.g. has licenses with the local authority and/or the correct insurance for your employees there are some actions you will need to do.
Ensure your corporation tax is paid
File annual accounts with HRMC
Write the companies ‘articles of association’ when you form the company and then follow them. These can be updated after registering
Keep detailed company records and report any changes in a timely manner
Notify other shareholders if there is a possible conflict of interest where you will personally benefit from a purchase the business makes
If you follow these steps you will have a compliant and solid foundation from which to grow your business. If you’re still unsure, we’ve outlined the main differences between being a sole trader vs limited company for you. Alternatively if you’ve decided becoming a sole trader is the best option for you read our guide on how to set up as a sole trader here.

How to Start a Business (Sole Trader)

7 steps to set up your business as a sole trader 

These steps will ensure you are compliant and correctly set up with the UK government

1. Decide if being a sole trader is the right set up for you 

76% of businesses in the UK are sole traders and this is how many people setup. Advantages to being a sole trader include; keeping things simple in terms of administration, you can employ people and it’s a relatively straight forward process with HRMC. However, there are also draw backs; you will be personally liable for any debts the business incurs and will have limited access to external finance options. If you are just starting out and are setting up a low-cost business becoming a sole trader is a great option.

2. Register with HRMC 

Once you have decided you are going to operate as a sole trader you will need to let HRMC know by registering for a self-assessment tax. HRMC will then send you a letter with your 10 digital Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) which will allow you to go online and set up your account.
If you have done a tax return online before grab you UTR (unique taxpayer reference) and fill out this form – CWF1. If you’ve forgotten your UTR find it here.
If you have a business that you run alongside being employed by another company it is still worth looking into whether you should register. The Gov website has a test page here. Alternatively speak to an accountant for advice, more on that later.

3. What to do if you employ someone as a sole trader 

A common misconception of being a sole trader is that you can’t employ people however as long as you have the correct set up you can. You will need to pay income tax and National Insurance contributions for each employee so will need to set up a PAYE. You will need to pay income tax and National Insurance contributions for each employee so will need to set up a PAYE. This government resource is a good directory for what you will need to cover if you have employees, it also takes you to details regarding your tax self assessment form – get bookmarking!
In terms of employment law – know your basics. A great site for basic legal documents is Rocket Lawyer.
ACAS is a goldmine of informative articles on everything from employment law to workplace Covid advice.
If you’re looking to contact a solicitor our accredited partners, Thursfields have the experience and legal expertise to guide you throughout the life cycle of your business. Read more here.

4. Get an accountant 

You can do your books yourself however unless you particularly enjoy this aspect of running your business getting an accountant is not only a good idea, it’s essential. When you are just starting out and trying to keep costs low it may seem like an unnessccery outgoing however if you make a mistake, file something incorrectly or just miss something from HRMC having an accountant is a life saver. Ask friends, fellow business owners and find out more about our accredited accounting partner, Stewart Associates, here.
Remember to keep organised and maintain detailed financial records of everything to do with your business. It may be boring and the last thing you want to do at the end of a busy day but future you (and your accountant!) will love you for doing it. Download accounting software to your phone to keep organised even on the go – Xero, QuickBooks and Sage are all popular and user friendly solutions.

5. Do you need to register for VAT? 

If your businesses turnover exceeds £85,000 per annum you have to be VAT registered – register here. If you are under this threshold registering is an extra process however it does mean you can claim VAT back on goods and services you use for your business. Don’t forget to keep those receipts!

6. Understand your tax 

This is where the accountant will come in useful however a good rule of thumb is put aside 25% of your income. Don’t touch this until the end of the financial year (sole traders need to pay their tax for the previous year by the 31st January every year) and you should be golden. Alongside your income tax you will have to pay National Insurance Contributions throughout the year. Here are the thresholds
Annual profits below £9,568 (2021/22) = £3.05 per week.
Annual profits between £9,568 and £50,270 = 9%
Annual profits over £50,270 = 2%

7. What insurance do you need? 

There are legal requirements for insurance but this decision is also influenced by the type of business you have and how much ‘peace of mind’ you want to pay for. We’ve outlined a few basic forms of insurance below to get you started.
Employers Liability Insurance – this is the only legally required form of insurance for a small business owner. This is to cover any employees that are injured whilst working for you. If you operate with no insurance and have staff working for you, there can be a penalty of £2,500 per day.
Management Liability Insurance (Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance) – this covers the individual directors personally rather than the business as a whole. This can be helpful if things do go wrong as directors are open to having claims of malpractice brought against them with potential fines, disqualification (this will mean you won’t be able to be a director of a future company) and even prison sentences. When taking out this insurance check your policy covers insolvency and large shareholders (over 15%) as many policies do not protect you in these cases.
Public Liability Insurance – this is to cover customer injury. Accidents do happen and not having this insurance if you have a shop/salon etc could be costly. Also note some clients and suppliers may request you have this insurance as part of your contract with them.
Contents and Portable Equipment Insurance – this covers all the technology and physical belongings you use to operate your business. If you are running your business from home and have contents insurance it’s worth checking the wording of your policy as some do not cover equipment used in a commercial capacity.
Professional Indemnity Insurance – this is for businesses that offer advice or consultancy services. This insurance will cover you if a client of yours makes a claim against you stating they have incurred financial loss after acting on your advice. In these industries clients may insist you have this form of insurance and it will help bolster your professional reputation if you do.
Cyber insurance – this will insure you against any claims made if you have a data breach. You should consider this insurance if you hold large amounts of customers data and/or sensitive customer data. This may become more important as you grow and will be valuable to have as you build the data on your customers to optimise your marketing strategy and potentially increase your product/service offering.
If you follow these steps you will have a compliant and solid foundation from which to grow your business. If you’re still unsure, we’ve outlined the main differences between being a sole trader vs limited company for you. Alternatively if you’ve decided forming a limited company is the best option for you read our checklist on how to set up a limited company.

Sole Trader vs Limited Company

What are the pros and cons of setting up as a Sole Trader vs a Limited Company? 

We’ve gone through the basic considerations for both and directly compared them so you can get a clearer picture on which is best for you. Areas to consider when setting up your business include:
Financial Liability
Status & Professionalism
Finance Options
Publishing Personal Details
Business Name Protection
Tax Requirements
Administration Requirements
Employment
Insurance
Sole Trader 
Limited Company 
Financial Liability 
If your business runs up any debt you are legally required to cover it, this may mean even selling personal assets.
Financial Liability 
By setting up a limited company your business becomes a separate legal entity. Therefore if the business does run up debts the business, rather than you personally, are responsible.
Status 
You can build a great reputation as a sole trader and many customers won’t know the legal ‘status’ of your business or, to be honest, care! They are there for your amazing products and service after all.
Status 
Having said that, some suppliers & clients may feel more secure dealing with a company that has gone through the formation process. Once you get larger and becoming more prominent it may be time to form a limited company.
Finance Options 
Along with being financially liable for the business, raising funds may be more difficult. Options as a sole trader include; savings, friends & family lending, go fund me pages, and some banks will loan you money however you may be considered too ‘high risk’ and refused. But if your over-heads are low and your cash flow good this may not be a concern for you.
Finance Options 
You will have more financial options open to you and be more likely to be approved for a loan from a bank or lending organisation. All the options of a sole trader will be available to you along with more official routes. If you need a premises to operate from, need to buy equipment or require some start-up cash to get you going forming a limited company will make it easier when applying for finance.
Personal Details 
Increased privacy. Your personal details won’t be published on Companies House.
Personal Details 
You will have to publish your name (as a director), the names of fellow directors and your business address on Companies House. You can limit the amount of information out there by registering with a secretarial business service eg business address but some details have to be made public.
The Name of Your Business 
Business name protection. As a sole trader you may be worried about others operating with a similar name to take advantage of your good reputation, advertising efforts and word of mouth promotion from customers. You can take out Business Name Protection here with NBR to stop this from happening.
The Name of Your Business 
No one can use the exact same business name as you, they legally won’t be able to form the company. However this doesn’t cover you in every situation, they could add an ‘s’ to the name or ‘solutions’ etc so their name ends up being very similar to yours. You can take out business name protection to stop this, find out more here.
Tax 
Tax can be substantially higher for sole traders, especially when you’ve established the business and are pulling in a good amount of money. Sole traders can be charged between 20%-45% tax on their profits (minus allowable business expenses).
Tax 
Tax for limited companies is lower and they are generally considered more ‘tax efficient’. They are required to pay only 19% on their total profits (minus allowable business expenses).
Administration Requirements 
There is less paperwork to do as a sole trader. You will still want to have an accountant but in terms of legally required documentation there’s less than a limited business.
Administration Requirements 
More paperwork to do with legal annual documentation having to be submitted. As with being a sole trader getting an accountant is a great idea, they will be able to help you with all the paperwork and requirements.
Employment 
You can employee people as a sole trader. Make sure you have insurance and are set up correctly with a PAYE scheme and pensions with HRMC. This is were an accountant will come in handy.
Employment 
As with a sole trader you need to set up a PAYE scheme with HRMC for any employees you have and take out the right insurance to cover them.
Insurance 
As a sole trader you are less likely to have to need different kinds of insurance but check out our ‘Sole Trader’ article where we outline the basic forms of insurance to consider.
Insurance 
As a limited company you may want to take out insurance. We have covered the basic forms of insurance in our ‘Limited Company’ article. One to particularly consider, as a limited company, is individual director insurance.
We hope our battle of the businesses has helped you make the decision which is best for you. Remember the hardest part is taking the first step, get out there, even if everything isn’t perfect and try!
Start.Biz have packages to suit any size and type of business. Get in touch here with our friendly, expert team today to discuss your personal circumstances and set up a solid infrastructure for your business.

Business Name Protection

Why Register Your Business Name? 

Registering a business name is an important step when setting up your business. Choosing the perfect name can be daunting, so we are here to help you through the process. Our service is ideal for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies looking to check and protect their trading name.
Benefits of registering your business name –
Ensure your business name is unique, does not copy an existing business or entity, and meets all statutory legal requirements.
Protect one of your most important assets, your business name, from the malpractice of passing-off, in which competitors copy or use your business name.
Make the most of social media by protecting your online reputation and handles.
A guarantee that we will initiate and cover your legal fees, up to £10,000, if action needs to be taken.
Receive information on any relevant updates in legislation.
Become part of our business community and connect with likeminded business owners.
Access to resources and advice that will enable you to save time and money.
Here at Start.Biz (formly known as the National Business Register) we are passionate about supporting businesses and helping you realise your dream of being your own boss.
Register Your Business Name Now

What are the Costs of Business Names Protection? 

Business Name Registration costs an annual membership fee of £99 (plus VAT) and includes initial name searches, a display certificate, protection against ‘Passing Off’, obtaining formal statutory permission if needed and expert advice from Start.Biz.
We understand that setting up your own business can seem over whelming at times, our expert team has nearly 40 years’ experience and are here to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions about our services, or just need a little advice at whatever stage of your business journey you are, please get in touch.

How we Protect Your Business Name 

We will protect your trading name against copying by another business, company or brand. This copying is called “passing off”; legal costs, court fees, solicitors and counsel fees are paid by us, for further information please refer to the T&C’s.

What is ‘Passing Off’? 

The law of passing off stands to protect a trader’s goodwill and business against copying, (Passing Off). In order for a passing off action to succeed, you will need to substantiate the following matters:
A misrepresentation made by another, with respect to the business name, in the course of that particular trade.
The misrepresentation is made to the principal customers or prospective customers.
The misrepresentation does cause damage to the principal business or goodwill of which the business name has developed.
Although these elements may be present in an incident that constitutes ‘Passing Off’ it is important that you make us aware as soon as possible so we can act quickly. This gives us the best chance of the claim being successful.

How to Make a ‘Passing Off’ Claim with Start.Biz (National Business Register) 

We appreciate each situation is unique and may require slightly different information depending on the nature of the claim. Our team will be here every step of the way to ensure you are fully informed and take the hassle out of the process so you can get on with the running of your business.
We will ask you to fill out a ‘Passing Off’ complaint form with as much information as possible, sent via email.
Now we get to work! If there is any missing information we require to proceed with your particular claim, a member of our team will be in touch to advise.
We will then issue a letter of notice to the alleged offending party stating that they are ‘Passing Off’ an established business name. This letter will also include useful information for them and next steps on how they should proceed going forward.
If, after this letter has been received, the other party are looking to contend the ‘Passing Off’ action, we will enter a dialogue with them and/or their solicitors. We will start to build a case demonstrating their infringement and work closely with them to resolve the issue at this stage.
Once the above options have been exhausted and it is evident that the ‘Passing Off’ action cannot be progressed without resorting to litigation, we will take your case to the external Legal Counsel.
Since 1984 we have successfully prevented thousands of organisations from copying a registered member’s business name. We can boast a highly professional qualified team who are specialists in their field. Our business exists to protect members’ trading names and for a small annual fee you have access to, and support from internal and external specialists who will endeavour to resolve your problem quickly and effectively.
For a free, no obligation Intellectual Property audit or to discuss your personal circumstances please call 0121 678 9000 or email info@start.biz