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There are many reasons for beginning a start-up. Some believe that their only alternative is to start afresh after previous failure, or if the economic situation or state of unemployment leaves them no alternative; some people have a great idea or product and would like to start their business; and there are those who are not satisfied with their current job or boss and think they could do a better job for themselves.But whatever your reason or motivation to start a business, there are certain steps you should follow: First and most important is to understand and learn what a company is with all its components as well as the advantages and disadvantages of being a business owner and paperwork it entails.It is also important to investigate and learn everything you can about the business you want to start, starting with defining your market. In other words, who are the potential customers and why would they buy from you?Other areas to look into are the goods or services, the competition, all procedures, licenses and requirements for establishing your business. This is because sometimes poor research can cause big problems.There are two case studies to highlight this. The first was an owner who opened her salon in a small shopping centre, had invested and worked hard to modify and decorate the rental location. A few days after opening the doors, the pavement her salon stood on was broken up completely to make some changes to the pipes and drains underneath. As you can imagine, without car traffic or many people walking past, it became a very difficult start to build a business from.Another case is of someone else who made very large investments to install special equipment for their business. When they wanted to get their business licensed, the city denied it until they fulfilled certain requirements that had not been considered or that he did not considered necessary. These changes and plans he had to submit, cost money, which was no longer there. The man had to painstakingly borrow money for pay plans and make modifications which took many months.These examples reiterate the importance of research before even signing or investing in something for your business. Of course, not all cases are like this, but the emphasis should be on asking and planning their businesses first, to avoid headaches and loss of money by having poor planning on initiation.Your Virtual Office London has helped thousands of small business make the move from idea to reality. Starting a business can be a difficult and testing time, however our expert team are equipped with the right knowledge to ensure you are able to give your business the best possible chance of success.

Sometimes the question is asked: can anyone start a business? Well, the truth is that yes, anyone can start a business, but if the question is "can anyone succeed in business?" the answer is no. This may sound a bit negative, but it`s a fact that many people start their business and fail before the end of the first year.Indeed, statistics will tell you that eight out of ten people who start a business, will fail in the first year. There are many reasons why people fail and here are mentioned some of them.

Among the most common causes are:

• They do not have enough experience in the field of business when they start or that sometimes they fall into a line of business because an uncle or friend is doing well.
• They are advised by people that have knowledge and experience, or rather "bad advice".
• People rush to start because they panic about leasing premises the selling of their equipment or franchise.
• They have not calculated the money needed to start and sustain the business.
• They have no money to live personally.
• Do not create or have the money for an advertising budget.
• They don`t trust certain sales tactic or are scared of trying them at all, such as door-to-door selling.
• Overestimate sales and underestimate or miscalculate expenses.
• Do not do a real research.
• Do not want to pay accountants, lawyers, business consultants, real tax experts and then end up in trouble.
• No matter if it's from family or friends, if they have the same values and beliefs, have drawn up a contract between partners, this sooner or later (almost always earlier) starting problems and differences and then comes the "divorce".

These are some of the reasons why people should NOT start a business. But do not worry, the solution is simple, makes a good business plan. Because someone can make a bad business plan and it will all go wrong nearly every time.If you are looking to start a business Your Virtual Office London can help you get started. If you are looking to form a Limited company please do get in touch with our team, we have a great deal of experience in handling new clients with starting a company for the first time. What are you waiting for? make the first move.

When you incorporate a company for the first time many different addresses are required by Companies House, many of our customers do come to us for clarification. In this article we describe the differences between the registered office address, directors service address, and shareholders address.

What is a registered office address?

The registered office address is a legal requirement from companies house. The address is used by Companies House and HMRC to send official statutory post and documents. The address appears on public record, anyone can search and find this address. The address for many new companies is usually the home residential address as they company has not yet started trading in a commercial property.

What is our registered office address service?

Our service allows you to register an official business address in a prestigious central London location, based in the heart of finance and business district. This will be your companies registered office address. Of course this has many benefits when compared to using your registered office address. One is that the address is private, you do not have to disclose your residential address. Many people prefer to keep their home address of public record for obvious reasons, one mainly is that is prevents unwanted callers turning up un announced when you least expect them.

What is a director`s service address?

The director`s service address is the official address of the director. Again similar to the registered office it`s the address is used by HMRC and Companies House to send official statutory post and documents. Again similar to the registered office, the address is on public record and is searchable. Unlike the registered office address the address can be an address situated in any country across the globe. The address can be the same as the registered office address; however it must not be a PO Box address.

What is our director service address?

Our director`s service address allows you to use our prominent London address in City Road as the director`s service address. Using our address service can help protect your residential address, again like the registered office service, removing your home address from public records can prevent unwanted callers and junk mail. It also helps you look more professional, creating a corporate image that can help increase your businesses profitability.

What is the shareholders correspondence address?

A shareholder is legally required to provide a correspondence address for each of the shareholders, each shareholders address will appear on the public record. The address can be the same as the registered office address and it doesn`t have to be the residential address of the shareholder.You will need to provide a correspondence address for each of the first shareholders (often called subscribers) in a newly formed company. For each shareholder correspondence address, it`s worth noting that:

Why choose Your Virtual Office London?

Your Virtual Office London have been providing professional business services for over 30 years. From company formation to supplementary services such as the mentioned address services, we really do understand the need of the modern business. Enhancing your business image whilst retaining privacy is key to the modern business owner, we have developed packages at an affordable price which is obtainable on any level of earnings. If you would like to discuss your businesses circumstances we will be able to help provide a tailored solution, we have an experienced expert team ready to take your call.

London was named the most influential city by the media outlet Forbes.London beats New York, by a modest margin, the decision was based on 8 key factors which included the following criteria: How many business headquarters are based there, the amount of investment from foreign investors, how many business sectors are the main players, how easy it is to travel, the strength of the financial sectors, technological and media power and finally racial diversity.London is ranked top for finance and is Europe`s main technological powerhouse, according to the research that was conducted.However this didn't come without criticism from Forbes, they suggested that the country was punching above its weight considering it has faced a century of imperial decline.They also went on to say that it was a second rate power; however the City`s legacy as the global financial capital underpins its power post empire.Your Virtual Office London can help your business start up in the worlds most influential city. We provide a range of business services, if you are looking to form a Limited company we can help you start up in the power house of central London. We also provide services such as registered office address, a London mail forwarding address, directors service address in a prominent London location and business accounting.

The UK economic growth has elevated by 3.2% in the second quarter compared to the same time in the previous year. This is actually higher than the 3.1% original estimate.The growth was helped by the construction sector performing better than previously predicted.The figures show the best economic performance the UK has seen for over 6 years. The service sector which equates to 78% of the total economic activity grew by one percent in the second quarter. This was also the best performance this sector has seen for over 6 years.Also manufacturing output grew by 0. 3% however the agriculture industry actually shrank by 0.2%.The service sector was the overall winner, with widespread growth. Increases were seen in business services, transportation, hotels, food services, communication and storage.The service sector is now officially above the previous high by 3%, the last previous peak was in 2008. The latest figures are showing that the economy recovery is will underway and it is being led by consumer spending.However the UK manufacturing sector is still below by 7.5% below its peak in 2008.The Bank of England is not expected to raise the interest rates soon, interest rates were expected to rise in 2015.Your Virtual Office London provides professional business services, if you would like to discuss how we can help your company, dont hesitate to get in touch with us.

The EU economic recovery is looking more and more bleak now. It's unfortunate, as the UK's largest trading partner has become stagnant. One Bank of England policymaker has said the exports to the UK are dead in the water.The same policy maker explained it was looking more and more difficult to see any exports grow because of the ongoing economic issues in the Eurozone. He went on to say the UK`s economic growth was no longer being led by consumer spending.UK exports figures have been very low, growth has been slow over the past 2 or 3 years, according to one professor. He suggested the main reason for the slow growth was due to the Eurozone and the economic issues the member countries are facing. He added that it is hard to see exports growing in the near future.The UK government has place a target for UK exports, it wants UK exports to reach the £1trn mark by the year 2020 and 100,000 more UK companies are needed to start exporting if the UK is to meet this target.If you found this blog interesting you can find more posts in our economy blog section.

Our mail forwarding service allows a customer to use our prestigious office address in London as if it was their own. Using our address enables our clients to have post sent to the central London office address we have provided, they can then choose to have the mail forwarded from the provided mail forwarding address to an address of their choice.

Why would I use a mail forwarding address?

There are many reasons why you someone would choose to use our mail forwarding service. Firstly it can be used by personal customers who have decided to go travelling or take a long vacation, using our service allows them to have post sent onto their address no matter where they are in the world. This has obvious benefits, someone who spends long periods of time away from their main postal address can expect many bills and important letters that may be time sensitive. Our mail forwarding service enables the client to receive these documents no matter where they are in the world.Many business customers also benefit from the use of our mail forwarding service. Our address is situated in a prominent and prestigious location in central London, this creates a positive image for any prospective clients who may be looking to work with your company.Our mail forwarding address service also has can help with privacy, all businesses are legally required to provide an address of where they are operating from in the UK. Our address service can help protect your home address, thus preventing any unwanted callers turning up when you least expect them.

Other key benefits to the mail forwarding service

• Private and Confidential
• For personal and business customers
• Prestigious address in central London
• Creates a professional image for your business
• Mail forwarded worldwide
• Collect mail from our premises
• Parcels and signed for post accepted
• Digital scanning of post available

Your Virtual Office London has been providing professional mail forwarding services for over 20 years. Many business customers also choose other supplementary services which can complement the mail forwarding service.We provide a registered office address in London for our Limited company clients; this allows them to use our prominent London address at Companies House in place of their existing registered office address. Another service that is popular with our company clients is a directors service address, again this is for updating the directors address at Companies House. Both address services are aimed at improving your image and keeping your personal details safe and secure, away from public view.If you would like to discuss any of the services mentioned in this article please feel free to contact us, we have an expert team on standby ready to take your call.

In this article, we explain who can act as a company secretary and how one can be appointed or removed and the typical duties performed by the secretary.

Who can be a Limited Company secretary?

There are not many people who cant act as your company secretary in a private Limited Company. There are a few restrictions; the company secretary must not be an undischarged bankrupt unless the court has given leave. Also the companies auditor is not allow to perform the role of secretary. A partnership, company and of course an individual are allowed to perform the role of company secretary.

What is the process of adding or removing a company secretary?

The adding of an appointment of a company secretary or the removal of a secretary will be governed by the Companies Articles of Association. It would be decided by the board of directors of the company, that they wish to add or remove the appointment. The Companies Act 2006 doesn't provide details of how the process should be handled.

What are the main duties of a company secretary?

The duties of a company secretary can vary, there are no right or wrong duties however typically the duties are as follows:1. The company secretary would normally provide the service of Filing annual returns.2. Preparing and maintaining the statutory records.3. Arranging meetings for shareholders and directors, maintaining minutes of meetings.4. Maintaining correct company details with companies house, updating when changes happen.5. Legal compliance6. Holding and safe keeping of company documents7. Maintaining a registered office address

Why use Your Virtual Office London to form your company?

Your Virtual Office London are company formation experts. We have been forming companies for over 30 years, we have a huge amount of experience and we are always happy to share this with our clients. It is important to understand the supplementary services we provide our company formation clients, services such as registered office address, mail forwarding, virtual office and business accounting. Incorporating a company can be a daunting process and our team are specially trained in guiding small businesses through the minefield of forming and starting a new company.

Europe-Zone economies under-performed worse than what was predicted in the second part of the financial year. The German Gross Domestic Product contracted by 0.22% in the last three months leading up to June. This is in contrast to the first part, the German economy grew by 0.7% in the first three months of this year.The German Federal Office explained that they were losing momentum due to the trade balance directly slowing the growth of the economy.The French economy remained stagnant; the economy had 0% growth. This is the second quarter where no growth took place; again the official figures were not what was expected. The French economy was predicted to have a slow positive rise in growth; this is suggested to be due to weak manufacturing output. Another aiding factor has been sighted that the second quarter has a larger number of public holidays which can also slow manufacturing output.The minister of finance for France, Michel Sapin, has explained that France is not expected to meet its deficit reduction target in 2014.Other causes have been signalled to possible reasons for slow growth. The Ukraine fighting has possibly affected confidence in both countries. Along with Russian sanctions, investments may be reduced and overall confidence lowered in the region.If you found this news article interesting, you can read more on our economy blog section.

Unemployment in the UK has hit a six year low in the last three months. The ONS (Office for National Statistics) has reported that the amount of people out of work has fallen by to 6.4% in the last quarter. This is the lowest level since 2008 and it has gone done from 6.5% in May.The actual figure of people out of work decreased by 132,000 to 2.08 million, however average wages rose at the slowest rate since records began in 2001.The Office for National statistics suggested that the slow wage increase was affected by a large number of employees actually deferring bonus payments in the hope of the top rate of tax being cut.This deferment is thought to have affected the actual real rate of increase, which would have been higher if it was not for the bonus deferring.Low salary inflation, the rate at which the real value of a salary increases is a growing concern for top financial decision makers in the Bank of England, it could ultimately have an effect on the timing of when to raise in the interest rate.The Bank of England has now reduced its forecast by more than half, saying the average salary increase would be around 1.25% for 2014.The slow salary growth is likely to prevent an increase in interest rates this year, mainly due to the average person being made to pay more for their mortgage and subsequent knock on effects to the cost of products and services.The slow increase also suggests that the economy is still fragile; the figures should be used seen as a warning sign that the economic recovery still has a long way to go.The unemployment is still expected to fall further as we move into the second half of the year. It is also very probable that the unemployment rate will fall below 6%.If you found this news article insightful you can find more economy posts on our blog.