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Reserve a Company Name

The ideal way to protect your business name, whether you're a Sole Trader, or you've got a great business idea or brand for the future.

  • Protect your business name at Companies House
  • Keep your personal details off the public register
  • Never worry about paperwork or filing

What is a Reserved Company Name?

Reserving a company name means that you register a non-trading Limited Company at Companies House.

That means that no-one else can create a Limited Company using your reserved name. This is ideal for Sole Traders who want to protect their name but don't want to trade as a Limited Company, or people with a great business idea that isn't quite ready to launch yet.

Non-trading companies still need to list names and addresses of directors and do their annual company filing - but with Duport's Reserved Name service, we keep all your details off the public record and do your paperwork too.

Key Considerations

  • Privacy

    We register your company name using our own address and director details

  • Security

    We provide you with a contract to confirm your ownership of the company name

  • No paperwork

    Duport do all your filing at Companies House, so there's no paperwork for you

  • Easy to upgrade

    When you're ready to start trading as your Ltd Company, we simply switch ownership to you

  • Not a trading name

    You are not able to use the term Limited or Ltd or your company number if you are trading as a Sole Trader under your reserved name

How it works

It's so easy to protect your company name with Duport. It only takes 5 minutes and we handle all the paperwork for registration and annual filing too.

  1. Check your name is available

    Make sure your chosen name is available to register at Companies House

  2. 5 mins to complete

    Use our quick and easy registration process to secure your company name

  3. Receive your Contract

    Duport provide you with a contract proving your rights to your company name

  4. Duport handle all filing and paperwork

    We manage all your required filing, and keep your personal details confidential too

When you reserve your company name with Duport, we register it for you using our details - ensuring your details are kept off the public register. We also file all your required documentation each year.

Whenever you're ready to start trading as a Limited Company under your reserved name, simply let us know. We then transfer ownership to you so you're ready to do business.

Start your business the right way with Duport

Whether you're a Sole Trader looking to protect their trading name, or someone with a great idea for a business who isn't quite ready to start up yet, Duport know exactly what you need.

As a small company ourselves, we know how important it is to protect your brand and reputation, and to prepare your business for future success. That's why our services go much further than just registrations, we're here to help at every stage of your journey.

When you choose Duport you get:

  • Quick & easy online registration
  • Contract to prove your rights to your company name
  • Ability to start trading at any time
  • Ongoing filing services and personal privacy

We love to see our customers' businesses boom, and we're here to make that happen for you too.

Get Started

Reserve your company name for £59.99

It's quick and easy to reserve your company name with our online process, so you can protect your company name and make sure that it's available to you as and when you decide to trade as a Limited Company.

Get access to many ExclusiveServices

Whether you're already trading or just starting up, Duport have exclusive services and support to help you succeed. From business accounts to domains and website services, Duport have everything you need to get your business growing.

  • Service address

  • Domain services

  • Registered office

  • Accountancy services

  • Banking options

Popular FAQs

Still have questions? Here are the answers to some of the most common questions people ask about reserving a company name

Choosing the perfect company name can be a very difficult task. Ideally, you need to find a name that’s both memorable and represents your brand. Here’s a few steps to help you:

  • The story: Who are your ideal customers and what makes your brand unique? Jot down any words.
  • Keep it short: Choose a name that's easy to remember and say.
  • Make it relevant: It should clearly give people an idea of what your start-up does. Mix in industry keywords or a clever play on words to make it interesting.
  • Personality: Humour and creativity makes a name memorable but ensure the name is suitable for your ideal customer.
  • Local areas: If your local area is a big part of your business, use it in your business name to create a connection with your customer.
  • Check the name: Once you’ve found the perfect name check it’s available at Companies House, the domains registrar and doesn’t have any trademarks registered at the Intellectual property office. It’s usually quite easy to adapt a name if you find any existing registrations. We can help you with this.
  • Test it: Ask friends, colleagues and potential customers for their feedback.

Registering the matching web domain is just as important as reserving your company name.

It is crucial to have your own domain name if you plan to send emails or a website. For example, our domain name is duport.co.uk, our website is located at www.duport.co.uk and we have email addresses such as enquiries@duport.co.uk.

Your customers will expect to reach you by email and a generic address such as Bob7254@yahoo.co.uk does not look professional

Domain names are becoming increasingly difficult to purchase later because some companies register names to sell at inflated fees.

At Duport, we make it easy for you. Alongside reserving your company name, we offer a smooth online process to secure your desired web domain. This way, you can protect your brand and be ready to trade as a Limited Company whenever you're set.

There are 4 reasons you should use this service:

  1. You are not ready to start your business but have thought of the perfect company name and want to stop anyone one else registering it.
  2. You are trading as a sole trader and your business name is important to you. You do not want your customers to be confused with a registered company using your name.
  3. You intend to move from your sole trader business to a LTD company in the future and want to ensure the name will be available.
  4. You want to start setting up your LTD business but need to keep things anonymous until you are ready. Until you are ready to start trading there is nothing linking you to your chosen name (as we use our details to register it). Any person who decides to investigate the company name will simply find all key information linked back to Duport.

Considering trademarking? It's a great protective measure but takes time (several months) and money. Plus, if you need to legally challenge someone using your name, it can get costly. That's why we suggest starting with a Reserved Name registration. It's quick, cost-effective, and secures your name right away.

We will check your name at Companies House and ensure it’s compliant and available for use.

It is not a legal requirement for sole traders to have an official business name. However, many sole traders use one for marketing and branding purposes. The chosen name does not require registration however it’s a good idea to register the name to prevent anyone else from taking it and to make it available as your business grows.

Our unique service allows you to reserve your company name using our own Registered Office Address and the details of our Director, Peter Valaitis. Your personal details remain off the public record until you’d like us to transfer the name into yours.

This means that any individual conducting an investigation into the company name will only find information linked back to Duport, safeguarding your privacy and limiting any potential interference.

To reserve your company name you will need to provide the following details:

  • Your full name
  • Your business name
  • Your current address
  • Your phone number
  • Your email address

As this company will not be trading, there is no requirement to set up a bank account for it.

No, Duport will handle all the annual filing requirements on your behalf each year this service is purchased/renewed.

This service ensures your personal details are kept off the public register, as it will be registered using Duport’s details.

Yes, you can register from outside the UK.

You can cancel your order at any point. Refunds will only be issued if you have not accessed any of your purchased services.

Your right to a refund is waived if:

  • Your registration has been submitted to Companies House
  • OR
  • You have requested or viewed any digital ebooks or reports included in your purchase

This service is renewable annually. It may be cancelled at any time, at which point Duport will retain ownership of the registered company name.

You can also decide to start trading under your Reserved Name at any time, at which point you can upgrade your service, and Duport will update Companies House, removing our placeholder details, and adding yours.

Duport use our own Registered Office Address and the details of our own Director, Peter Valaitis, to reserve your company name.

This keeps your personal details off the public record and ensures you do not have to do any annual filing with Companies House.

There are 4 reasons you may want to use this service:

  1. You are not ready to start your business but have thought of a company name you would like to use and want to protect it so no one else can use it.
  2. You are trading as a sole trader and the company name is important to you. You do not want your customers to be confused with a rival company using your name under a LTD status.
  3. You intend to move from your sole trader business to a LTD company in the future and want to ensure the name will be available.
  4. You want to start setting up your business but need to keep things anonymous until you are ready.

Until you are ready to start trading with the company, there is nothing linking you to your chosen name. Any person who decides to investigate the company name will simply find all key information linked back to Duport.

The reserved company name service is not suitable for you if:

  • You want to hold a dormant/ non trading company at Companies house showing your details as the director (register using our LTD software package for 9.99. We can still complete all your filing for you if you opt to use our dormant filing service for 59.99 per annum.)
  • You plan to start trading as a LTD company in the next few months (we recommend registering as a LTD now.)
  • You are not worried about someone else trading using your business name.
  • You want to protect a charity or non profit organisation name.
  • You want the company to be registered in Scotland.

Need some help?

If you need a little advice on the best options for you, or have a question that's not in our FAQ, Duport's expert team are here to help. Give us a call during office hours or email us any time and we'll help you out.