4 Key Essentials to Changing your Company Name

1. How to change your Company Name?

• Directors to approve name change

• Shareholder(s) to approve name change

• File statutory Form G1Q in Companies Registration Office

• Assuming name approved the Registrar will issue a Change of Name Certificate

2. Can I choose any name I like?

No, there are guidelines, e.g. a name will not be permitted if it is:

• exactly the same as, or, too like another name on the register

• offensive

• suggests state sponsorship

3. Guidelines for choosing a name

• The following are not considered sufficiently distinctive: service, company, corporation, place names.

• Avoid phonetically similar names

• The use of numbers to distinguish between companies with identical names is forbidden, as is the word “standard”

• Use additional words for distinction

Certain words may need pre-approval from other sources, e.g. the use of the word “bank” must be approved by the Central Bank.

4. Finally, a word of caution

Your chosen name could be rejected, so hold off ordering new headed paper until you have received the Certificate of Change of Company name!

In my next blog, I’ll give you a useful checklist to refer to after your name has been changed.

If you’ve any questions, please ask by using the comment box below.

In our last blog we looked at the guidelines around choosing a company name.

Today, we give you a useful checklist for reference once you have changed your company name.

Remember, when a company changes its name it must show the previous name for one year from date of change. For example “Heavens Name Limited [formally Good Name Limited}”

1. Company Secretarial Issues

• Update Company Registers
• Display change of Name Certificate
• Purchase new company seal

2. Stationery

• Graphic design for new logo/branding
• Headed paper
• Business cards
• Domain Name
• Email address
• Fax auto answerback
• Franking machines
• Name badges

3. Listings

• Telephone Directory
• Domain name listings
• Subscriptions to trade magazines

4. Internal Documents

• Check all internal documents i.e.
• Accounting Documents i.e. Invoices, Purchase orders, Statements
• Accounting software
• Internal Memos
• Voicemail
• Email signatures
• Employment Contracts
• Training material
• Office Templates

5. Bank

• Advise your Bank
• Cheques and statements
• Credit & Debit Cards

6. External

• Leasing agreements
• Insurance policies
• Contracts
• Links to external Websites
• Licences
• Social Media
• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Pinterest

7. HR

• Employee handbooks
• Pension benefits
• Recruiting Templates/Job Descriptions
• Internal awards
• Health Insurance

8. Sales & Marketing

• Website
• Presentation Templates
• Golden Pages
• Telephone Directory
• Packaging
• Sales literature
• Brochures
• Flyers

9. Professional Advisors

• Accountants
• Auditor
• Solicitors

10. SIGNAGE

• Vehicles
• Premises