Formation

If you think you’ve got what it takes to start your own business and your market research and business plan supports your belief it can work, forming a business is the next exciting leg on the journey. So what are your options?

Original idea or proven format?

You might not want or need to come up with your own idea for a business. You could decide it’s easier and less risky to buy a business, something that could still generate a good return on investment.

You could still have bigger plans for a business you buy, providing the ingredients for success are already in place - maybe good products that aren’t being marketed effectively, for example. Perhaps the added drive, ability and fresh perspective you bring will inspire others and take the business forward to new heights.

Buying into a franchise could make you more confident of succeeding. Pick the right franchise and get other key decisions right and you could benefit from operating under an established brand, while still making money and enjoying the challenges of being your own boss.

Starting an online business

To limit your costs and maximise your returns, you might decide to start an online business.

Growth in online sales in recent years has been phenomenal. And why pay out for premises, etc, if you can run a lucrative business from a laptop or home-based PC, maybe without having to work as many hours? You might even be able to make sales while you sleep.

You might be driven by a desire to turn your idea into a successful venture. The urge to create something new and shape it can be irresistible. The sense of independence really dawns when it comes time to think of a name for your new ‘baby’ – a very important, yet fun, task.

Legal forms of business

Then you have to think about which legal form your business should take, which will be guided by the type of business you’re starting, your attitude to personal financial risk and whether you will start a business by yourself or with partners.

Becoming a sole trader (‘self-employed’) is quick, free and easy (a brief call to HM Revenue & Customs to register your business is sufficient). It’s likely to mean you pay comparatively less tax, while you can still employ people. But it makes you personally liable for any debts should your business go pear-shaped. This means your possessions and maybe your home could be at risk. If you plan to keep your costs and debts to a minimum, you might conclude it’s a risk worth taking. Further down the line you could decide to turn your sole trader business into a limited company.

Benefits of limited company status

Setting up a limited company removes personal financial liability (providing you trade legally and don’t give personal assurances for bank loans). But you must pay for the privilege, while running a limited company creates additional reporting and management responsibilities, which is likely to increase your costs.

You could start a business in partnership with others, either formally or informally. If you opt for a limited liability partnership (which makes the partnership itself liable for any debts rather than the individuals within it), you might sleep easier at night. If your partnership isn’t limited liability, and the business runs into trouble, remember, you’re liable for each other’s debts.