Starting and running a company involves various elements. Registration is relatively simple in the UK, but there are other moving parts, such as company filings, roles and responsibilities, and compliance.
Many founders are unfamiliar with these requirements when they first get started, and that’s perfectly normal. That’s why it’s crucial to choose a company formation service you can truly trust.
Are you looking for a credible provider? Read on to learn about the key features to look for and how working with trained experts can protect your business. We’ll also spotlight some of the specialists behind Rapid Formations and show you what makes our team the safest choice for guiding your business from day one.
Key Takeaways
- Partnering with a knowledgeable, reliable company formation agent – like Rapid Formations – ensures you start your business correctly and stay compliant.
- Rapid Formations’ team holds leading qualifications such as the CCSP from the Chartered Governance Institute, and all new team members undergo this training.
- From compliance and registered office addresses to banking and share management, Rapid Formations offers a full suite of services backed by a skilled, qualified team.
How to know your company formation agent is qualified
What does ‘good’ look like in the company formation sector? Here’s what to look for from a high-quality, trusted service and how Rapid Formations compares to other providers.
If peace of mind is your top priority, the qualified Rapid Formations team is here to help you form your company the right way.
Formal accreditation from the Chartered Governance Institute
One of the best and most widely recognised qualifications in the UK is the Certification in Company Secretarial and Share Registration Practice (CCSP) from the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland (CGIUKI), which our company secretarial team holds.
CCSP is a 12-month programme, combining expert-led lectures with self-study. It provides practical guidance on essential corporate services, helping small business owners run their companies efficiently and stay compliant. Here’s what it teaches:
- Company formation knowledge – Highlighting the differences between common company types and learning how to register a company correctly.
- Maintaining statutory registers and records – Ensuring your business meets HMRC and Companies House regulations, helping you avoid fines for missed deadlines or filing mistakes.
- Issuing and transferring shares – Understanding how to structure company ownership properly and manage it smoothly.
- Providing a registered office address – Offers privacy and legal compliance, and means you never miss an important letter.
- Appointing and removing directors – Explains the correct procedures for bringing in or removing directors from the board.
- Preparing annual accounts – How to report company finances correctly to HMRC and Companies House.
Our training doesn’t stop at CCSP. Rapid Formations’ CEO and Founder, Graeme Donnelly, explains why ongoing education is so crucial to us:
Ongoing training is something we highly value and prioritise here at Rapid Formations. It allows us to raise the benchmark in the company registration industry and maintain our status as the UK’s leading corporate services provider. Most of all, it means we can continuously deliver high-quality, trusted support to our customers.
Get support from the UK’s most qualified company formation agents. Discover how our Full Company Secretarial Service can help make running a business easier.
Why these credentials matter
Company formation agents don’t legally need to have formal training, so it’s not guaranteed that a provider you’re considering will have them. Company secretaries in private companies (if there is one) also don’t need to hold any official qualifications. So it’s not surprising that 30% of UK company secretaries are unqualified, as Grant Thornton has found.
With 46% of companies saying this role is becoming more important to them, it’s clear how valuable a knowledgeable and reliable formation agent can be. And that’s why all new secretarial team members at Rapid Formations take the CCSP course and strengthen their industry knowledge.
Our employees also hold relevant work experience and university degrees, and participate in ongoing training to ensure they remain the best at what they do.
Employee expertise spotlight
To give you an insight into the people behind the scenes, we’d like to shine the spotlight on some of our highly skilled team members.
Saba Kebede, Company Secretarial Administrator
Saba has a degree in International Business and a CCSP qualification. She’s also studying for the Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme, which will make her a chartered company secretary.
Laura Martin, Company Secretarial Technical Manager
Laura has been part of Rapid Formations since 2019, joining as a trainee and quickly progressing to Team Supervisor and later to Technical Manager.
She has since completed the Foundation Programme from the Chartered Governance Institute and is currently training to become a Chartered Governance Professional.
Abbie O’Neill, Head of Company Secretarial
A law graduate with experience at HSBC and HMRC, Abbie leads the team with two years’ direct experience in our company formation department and a CCSP qualification. She has earned multiple internal awards and continues to play a key role in innovation and training within the department. She is currently training to become a Chartered Governance Professional.
Nicholas Campion, Company Secretarial Director
As a chartered member of CGIUK, with a Master’s degree in Corporate Governance and with 10 years of company secretarial experience, Nicholas ensures our customers receive high-quality, accurate support. He also helps customers with complex compliance matters, as well as internal training.
Our expertise is company-wide
Our commitment to excellence extends across the company. Here are some of our colleagues from other departments who are CCSP-qualified and actively contribute to our trusted service:
- Rachel Craig, Senior Technical Content Writer – who also holds a BA Honours in Marketing with Finance and Economics and has 10 years’ industry experience
- Peter Doczi, People and Communications Director
- Amelia French, Director of Operations
- John Carpenter, Chief of Staff
If you’d like to speak to one of our specialists, get in touch today for support with your company setup and compliance.
Trust us with your company formation needs
Choosing the right company formation partner is about more than speed or price – it’s about knowing that you can trust the people behind the scenes and that they genuinely care about supporting your business.
Are you unsure about the rules on registered office addresses? Or do you want to appoint a director, change your company name, or form a UK business? We have the skills and expertise you can rely on. Get started confidently today by exploring our company formation packages.
Please note that the information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. While our aim is that the content is accurate and up to date, it should not be relied upon as a substitute for tailored advice from qualified professionals. We strongly recommend that you seek independent legal and tax advice specific to your circumstances before acting on any information contained in this article. We accept no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage that may result from your reliance on the information provided in this article. Use of the information contained in this article is entirely at your own risk.
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