Everything you need to start a business in the UK, in the right order
We’ve written a lot on individual pieces of this journey, structure, banking, accounting, formation. This is the version that pulls it together in the order it actually happens for most people.
Step one: decide your structure
Sole trader for simplicity and low admin, limited company once profit or risk genuinely justifies it. Our sole trader vs limited company guide settles this properly rather than on instinct.
Step two: register
Sole traders register with HMRC directly. Limited companies register at Companies House, often free if you bundle it with a business account through a provider like Tide, ANNA, or Revolut.
Step three: open your business account
Do this before any money changes hands. Several genuinely free options exist, so cost is never a reason to skip this.
Step four: sort your accounting
Wave for a genuinely free option, FreeAgent if you’re a small limited company (often free through certain bank accounts), Xero or QuickBooks once things get more complex.
Step five: cover the basics that catch people out
Register for Corporation Tax if you’ve incorporated, get insurance that matches your actual risk, and note your filing deadlines somewhere you’ll actually see them.
Step six: go find your first customer
Everything above is infrastructure. The business only really begins once someone pays you for it, so don’t let the admin become the whole project.
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