Letterheads. Ah, letterheads. The thought of a letter having a head is enough to make anyone chuckle. But unfortunately, they’re not as funny as they sound. In fact, they’re vital for anyone who wants to be taken seriously as a company (see, not funny at all!) But do you really know what needs to be on a letterhead - not just visually but also by law? Here we explain how to ensure you cover all your requirements - depending on what type of company you
Sole Trader
If you are running your company as a Sole Trader, meaning you are the exclusive owner of the business, then you must ensure your letterhead has the following:
1. The full company trading name and address. For example, our sister company Creative Pod is officially ‘Creative Pod Ltd.’ Therefore, this is the name, legally, that must appear on the letterhead.
2. You must also ensure your full name is included on the letterhead, if it is different to the company’s trading name.
Partnerships
Partnerships, defined as any business that operates between two or more individuals who share both the profits and liabilities of the business, you must include the following:
1. The full company trading name.
2. The address for your headquarters – i.e. where you receive the majority of your correspondence.
3. The full name of all your partners. If you do not wish to provide this information on your letterhead, you must at least, place a list where this information is readily available.
Limited Companies
Finally, Limited Companies – defined as a private company whose owners and shareholders are only legally responsible for the company’s debts to the amount of capital they invested. This type of business has to include the most information, which includes;
1. The full registered company name – not just the trading name.
2. Another legal requirement for your letterhead is the location in which your company is registered. This does not mean your current address, instead the country in which you are located – for example, England, Scotland or Wales.
3. The company’s registration number – ensuring people can find out all the information about your business in one simple Google search.
4. The registered address for your company, as well as the business premise address (if these are different).
5. If you wish to list the Directors, you must ensure you list all Directors and not a partial list. However, as this is not a legal requirement, many people opt to leave this information off of their letterhead.
VAT Registered Companies
Regardless of what type of company you are, if you are VAT registered you must also include:
1. Your VAT registered number.
2. Your VAT registered office address.
So, now we’ve got the legal spiel out of the way, what else do you need to consider to ensure your company letterhead looks the part…
1. Your logo and title. You may also wish to include the company tag line if you have one!
2. Any nicknames or shorter names you may have for the company.
3. Your website address, email address, phone or fax numbers are also something we would highly suggest you add to your letterhead.
Well, there you go. The boring parts of letterheads. But, if like us, you like to live in a world with a little bit of fantasy, let’s end this blog on a high with a self-drawn image of what we envisage a letterhead to look like in another universe…
If you want to take the plunge and have your company letterhead designed, or simply printed, don’t forget to get a quote with us today by filling out the online form on our website, or by contacting: howdy@printshop.uk.com
