Designing Letterheads

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	Introduction			Legislation, such as the Business Names Act 1985, and the Companies Act 1985 require businesses to make certain disclosures about who they are, at their main place where they carry on their business and also on their business stationery. The business stationery will include: letterheads (including faxes and e-mails) written orders for the supply of goods or services invoices and receipts written demands for the payment of business debts It is worth pointing out that failure to comply is a criminal act. Although it is rare for legal action to be taken for noncompliance, it is obviously worth taking the trouble to get it right. At the very least it gives your business a professional image. Most of the required disclosures are ones you would probably include as a matter of course. The most obvious being the business name and address. There are a few requirements, however, that are not so obvious. Unless the business name is the same, you must always disclose the corporate name, or the name of the individual, or individuals whom own the business: You would need to disclose "ABC Limited" if that company traded as "ABC Motors" You would need to disclose "John Smith" and "Gale Smith" if husband and wife traded as "Smith & Co" You would need to disclose "Kirsty Jones" if her business traded as "Jones Graphic Design" Partnerships must always disclose the names of all of the partners on their business documentation, unless they number more than 20, in which case it is permitted to state the principal place of business where a full list can be obtained. If your business is a limited company, you must disclose the registered company name, the registered office address, the domicile (e.g. England and Wales) and the company registration number. We reproduce a typical letterhead design for our hypothetical company, Samples Limited. It contains some useful tips you may care to consider before commissioning your first letterhead print run.
	Company Letterhead Further layouts for: Partnerships Sole-traders
	Further information			It is always a good idea to consult a professional adviser such as ourselves or a solicitor before selecting a business name and spending a lot of time building a corporate image around it. Apart from the fact that a search will need to be be carried out to ensure that another business is not already using the same name, there are certain controlled words you may be prevented for using within your business name. To prevent getting involved in unexpected legal difficulties, it is always wise to ensure that the name you wish to use does not conflict with any registered trade marks. Even a similar sounding name can cause litigation problems. It may also be to your advantage to ensure the name you select is one for which you can secure a web domain name. In today's age of Internet communication, a business without a website may find itself at a distinct disadvantage. The following two websites are a very useful source of information on business names and their availability. Companies House: www.companies-house.gov.uk Trade Marks Registry of the Patents Office: www.patent.gov.uk