Starting a UK business feels overwhelming. We make it simple — and we’re honest about how.
Answer three quick questions. Get a clear, personalised plan for forming your company, opening a business account, and sorting your accounting — with a plain-English reason behind every recommendation.
- Free company formation
- No account needed
- Under 2 minutes
Your plan
Step 1 of 3Business account
Recommended pick
Recommended because: you want to be trading today — forming and banking in one step is the fastest route, and the formation fee is covered for you.
Accounting
Genuinely free option
For your stage, HMRC’s free tools are enough — so we’re not going to sell you software you don’t need yet.
Sample plan — yours is built from your answers.
From idea to trading, in six steps
Most people don’t get stuck because it’s hard — they get stuck because no one lays it out plainly. So here it is, end to end.
- 01
Choose your structure
Sole trader, limited company, or something in between. We help you pick the one that actually fits — not the one that earns us the most.
Sole trader vs Ltd calculator - 02
Register your company
Get incorporated at Companies House. Formation is free through a banking partner — the filing fee is covered for you.
- 03
Open a business account
Keep business money separate from personal from day one. Cleaner books, and a far easier first tax return.
- 04
Set up your accounting
Free tools are plenty to start — we'll tell you when (and only when) it's worth paying for software or an accountant.
- 05
Get online
Claim your domain and set up a professional email at your own name. A simple one-page site is all most new businesses need.
- 06
Stay on top of tax
Know what you'll owe before it's due. Our free calculators do the maths so there are no nasty surprises.
Open the calculators
We make it simple — and we’re honest about how. Where the best option for you earns us nothing, we tell you.
Do the maths before you commit
No sign-up, no catch — just clear answers to the money questions every founder has.
Sole trader vs Limited company
See your estimated tax under each structure, and a one-line verdict on which is better for you.
Open calculatorTrue cost of running a Ltd in 2026
Year-one and ongoing costs laid bare — with the formation fee covered free as the punchline.
Open calculatorSalary vs dividend split
Find the optimal split for a director and the tax due, so you keep more of what you earn.
Open calculatorHonest, plain-English guides
Comparisons and how-tos for the decisions that actually matter — written to help you choose, not to push a product.
Questions founders actually ask
So what's the catch?
Formation is free because banks pay to acquire customers. We pass that deal to you and earn a referral fee from the bank. That's the whole catch — you don't pay us anything, and a referral fee never changes what we recommend.
Is company formation really free?
Yes — when you form through one of our banking partners, they cover the Companies House filing fee. You'll open a business account as part of the same flow, which is what makes the deal work for everyone.
Do I even need a limited company?
Often, no. If you're a sole trader or running a side hustle, you may be better off staying unincorporated for now — it's simpler and cheaper. Our wizard will tell you honestly, even though we earn nothing when we point you away from formation.
Will you spam me or sell my details?
No. There's no account to create to use the wizard, and we don't require your email to see your recommendations. If you choose to download a startup plan later, that's the only time we'll ask — and you can ignore it entirely.
How do you decide what to recommend?
By fit, not by fee. Recommendations are ranked on what suits your situation; where the best answer earns us nothing, we label it clearly rather than bury it.
Ready to start your UK business?
Three quick questions. A plan you can trust. An honest reason behind every step.