We know that starting a company is a big step. That’s why, if you have any questions about your new business, we have made it as simple as possible for you to find a clear answer. In this post, we explore the different ways we can help you, before, during, and after forming your company. Let’s get started.
The different ways to contact 1st Formations
It doesn’t matter where you are on your business journey, our dedicated team of experts is ready to help. From providing advice on your company, to dealing with questions about your particular service(s), we are always happy to assist you. Pick the contact method that suits you, and then get in touch.
1. By telephone
Sometimes nothing beats a conversation. We have seven dedicated phone numbers, all manned by our London-based team, with each designed to deal with different enquiry types:
- Customer Support & Sales: 020 3897 2233
- Compliance and ID: 020 3955 7565
- VAT & PAYE Registrations: 020 3955 7563
- Confirmation Statements: 020 3984 5387
- Company Secretarial Team: 020 3984 5387
- Mail Team: 020 8036 5007
- Service Renewals: 020 8036 5037
2. Submit a request on our contact form
Submit a request via our Help Centre contact form here.
3. Live chat
Finally, if you want an instant answer to your query but would rather not do it over the phone, we offer a ‘Live Chat’ facility.
Simply visit 1stformations.co.uk and wait for the blue chat icon to appear on the bottom-right corner of your screen (this takes approximately 10 seconds). Click on this when it pops up, type your question/comment, and click enter. A (real!) member of the team will respond to you in a matter of seconds.
Once your chat has concluded, you will have the option to have a transcription of it emailed to you for your future reference.
A note about the account holder
If you are an existing 1st Formations customer, we can only discuss matters relating to your company and services with the individual we have named on your account. Likewise, if we are in touch through email, we can only discuss an existing company/service with the email address that we hold on record.
9 other ways 1st Formations can help you
Now that we’ve ticked off the ways that you can get in touch with us, let’s take a look at the other resources that are available to help you:
1. Check out our FAQs
We have helped form over 1 million UK companies. This has given us a good idea about the specific questions that business owners-to-be and existing customers have.
In turn, this has enabled us to build a comprehensive collection of ‘Quick Answers’. You can find these in your Online Company Manager, on the main dashboard screen. The questions (and answers) are broken up into five useful categories:
- My Order
- Company Formation
- Address Services
- Non-UK Residents
- ID Requirements
So, if you suspect that your question may have come up before, log in to the Online Company Manager and take a look.
2. The ‘Set up a Company in 4 Simple Steps’ webpage
We’ve broken the company formation process down into 4 simple steps:
- Step 1: Choose a company name
- Step 2: Select a package
- Step 3: Checkout
- Step 4: Enter your company details
On the ‘Set up a Company in 4 Simple Steps’ page, we provide the details behind each of these steps, including the option to check the availability of your chosen company name.
This demonstrates just how easy the company formation process is, and is a great jumping-off point for your business adventure if you’ve not formed your company yet. Get started now, by typing in your proposed company name!
3. The ‘Information Required to Set Up a Company’ webpage
Unsure of what you do and don’t have to provide when forming your company? Look no further.
This page is your company formation checklist. It’s broken up into 7 handy sections, with each section explaining exactly what information you must enter when setting up your company:
- Registered Office
- Business Activity
- Director’s Details
- Shareholders’ Details (where the shareholder is a Person with Significant Control)
- Shareholders’ Details (where a shareholder is not a Person with Significant Control)
- Secretary Details (if you wish to appoint a secretary)
- Person with Significant Control Details
Take a look now: Information Required to Set Up a Company
4. Our Help and Advice section
The world of ‘company formations’ and ‘limited companies’ is huge, with a wealth of information out there. We have created a number of pages on our website designed to provide essential information in the simplest possible way.
These pages, when teamed with the other resources highlighted in this post, mean that our website truly is your one-stop shop for everything to do with starting and growing a business.
By hovering over the Help & Advice menu, you will see links to the following pages:
- Our Online Company Manager
- Set Up a Company in 4 Simple Steps
- Information Required to Set Up a Company
- Company Name Guide
- Introduction to Company Formation
- Starting Your Own Business – The Ultimate Guide
- Post Incorporation Support
- About Companies Limited by Shares
- About Companies Limited by Guarantee
- About Limited Liability Partnerships
- About Directors and Secretaries
- About Shares and Shareholders
- About Annual Filing Requirements
Simply click the links to view the pages in full.
5. Take a look at our blog
The 1st Blog hosts articles on a vast array of topics, all under the subject matter of ‘business’. If you suspect that your query is erring more towards general advice, it could prove to be an invaluable resource.
Below are just some of the articles that we have written:
- 12 Self Assessment expenses you didn’t know you could claim
- A guide to the company registration number
- The most tax-efficient way to take money from a limited company
- The confirmation statement explained
- Appointing and removing a company director
There are hundreds of blogs available, and our dedicated team of writers are adding new articles on a weekly basis – so it pays to visit the blog on a regular basis.
If you are looking for help on a specific topic, visit the main blog page and type a keyword or keyphrase in the ‘Search Blog’ function. You’ll then see every blog that mentions said keyword/keyphrase.
6. Our YouTube channel
If you’re big into video, good news – so are we.
Our YouTube channel is a visual extension of our blog, where you can watch videos on a huge range of topics – all presented by our in-house company expert, Nicholas Campion.
The focus of our channel is to provide practical advice on starting and building (and closing!) your company. Here are just a few of the titles that Nick has covered:
- 15 money-saving tips for small businesses that you need to know
- How to form a UK limited company in 2023
- What are dormant company accounts
- Everything you need to know about apostilled documents
- What is a dissolution
Like the blog, our channel is constantly being updated, so be sure to subscribe to the 1st Formations channel to ensure you never miss out.
And don’t forget, we love feedback, so feel free to leave comments (and questions) on the videos and we’ll get back to you promptly.
7. Helpful Videos
The YouTube channel isn’t the only outlet for our video content. There’s also the dedicated ‘Helpful Videos’ section on our website – where we host nearly 50 videos, split up into easy-to-understand categories, including:
- Company Formation
- Directors and Secretaries
- Shares and Shareholders
- Startup Advice
- Business Tips
- Finance & Tax
- About Companies
- Staying Compliant
Take a look at our ‘Helpful Videos’ now!
8. Our newsletter
Keep on top of the latest business (and 1st Formations) news by subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
Get brand new blog posts, exclusive special offers, competitions (with seriously good prizes), and interactive/educational features sent straight to your inbox.
If you’ve not subscribed, you’re missing out. The newsletter is the absolute best way to make sure you’re in the loop when it comes to all things 1st Formations.
Subscribe to the newsletter now by following these simple steps:
- Log in to the Online Company Manager
- Select ‘My Details’
- Tick the ‘Newsletter’ box and click ‘Update Details’
You’ll then be added to our mailing list!
9. Social media
We’re active on all major social media channels, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Across the platforms, we share business tips and advice in bite-sized chunks.
But it’s not just about us. We love to hear from our customers, whether it’s feedback on a service, a comment on a particular blog post, or just an update on how business is going – we’re always keen to engage.
So, what are you waiting for? Connect with us via the links below, now:
So there you have it
As you can see, there are numerous ways that we can help you – before, during, and after forming your company.
We hope you have found this post helpful.
One final way that you can reach out, which we have not yet covered, is to leave a comment on our blog. With that in mind, if you have any questions about this post, please don’t hesitate to leave your feedback and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks for reading!
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