advice on starting a plumbing business

[D3SIGNER]

Hi Everyone,

My brother is finishing his plumbing course soon and wanted some advice on starting his our business. I've been doing my research using the HMRC and Business Link websites.

What I'm having difficulty understanding is, if my brother was to become self employed.

Can he make up a business name and start trading straight away?

Or would he have to declare himself as a business to have a business name?

Sorry if this is a silly question...I'm new to all this.

[hlsps]

He can become self employed as a sole trader without having to register a Company name, he just needs to ring Inland Revenue and advise them of the date that he starts trading. If he wants to become limited then I believe that he then has to register with Companies House. However, I think the best thing for him to do is make an appointment to talk to his local business link, they will talk through his particular situation with him and advise him of areas he may not yet have considered such as producing his business plan, insurances he may need etc. They also have a great range of courses which are free and normally last three hours each, I have managed to book on business planning, bookkeeping, taxation and VAT and marketing for your new business. There were many more on offer but I couldnt find enough time off to attend.

[George01]

The idea of launching and managing your own business might be exciting, but it can also be challenging. Even for someone with techniques of business knowledge can still be complicated. There is an enormous dissimilarity between being the owner of your own business and being in partnership. As an owner you are solely responsible for every planning and promotion of the business. Coaching and management, team building, customer service, marking leadership etc – such vital issues must be adopted into your strategies to produce a profitable cash flow.