When forming a limited company the name of the company can be an important decision. Some people may choose the first name that they think of and others may select a ready made company for speed or because they like a particular name. However, many businesses may prefer to select a company name that either clearly distinguishes itself from its competitors or contains something unique or personal. Company names can be chosen for different reasons.
One of the most common ways of selecting a company name is to use something personal. A quick look through your local newspaper will probably introduce you to many personalised business names. Johnson Consulting Limited, T Smith & Son Limited, Stephens & Barley Limited are some fictional examples of what may be found. This may instantly make a company recognisable locally, it can be deemed as more personal by its customers, and often works well within geographical areas. However, it does little to tell new customers what your company does.
A popular choice for a small business is to choose a name that is ‘descriptive’. This tells prospective clients exactly what your company does. Examples of this may be to call your business The Window Company Limited, City IT Consultants Limited or The Advertising Agency Limited. Whilst this does serve to reinforce your primary business it offers little differentiation and may easily be adapted by competitors.
A less personal option is to use a company name that is ‘associative’. This type of company name helps to create an image or connection to your business activity. It is less direct than using a descriptive name but helps to position your company’s name within the market through peoples understanding of what words mean. For example a flick through the Yellow Pages will offer plenty of examples of this. A hairdresser called Classic Cuts or a printer called Selectaprint Limited are examples of what may be found. These names offer some differentiation but may not ultimately set your company aside from its competitors.
An alternative is to choose a company name that is ‘freestanding’. These names are completely abstract and not related to the companies business activities. A fictional example may be to call your catering company Zedoc Limited. There are many popular brand names that illustrate this point. Consider, Kodak, Gillette, or Mars, these names will probably be instantly recognisable to you and conjure up a particular product or business. This is a good way of setting your company aside from the competition but it is important to consider the market that you operate in. Will your prospective clients know what your business is offering?
Choosing a company name may be a simple process, but it is not uncommon for people to deliberate over names for quite some time. Whilst company names can, and often are, changed during the life of the company most people like to choose a name that they like from the outset. Therefore consider your market, how much you want to differentiate from your competitors and what your company name should say about your organisation. Once the decision is made focus on the important business of making your company a success.
Peter owns a successful business that is growing quickly. Like many businesses, Peter’s company has good commercial and government clients that buy regularly from him. And since Peter is really good at his business, his clients have been purchasing more and more products from him. His business appears solid.
But some cracks are starting to appear in the foundation. He’s been close to missing payroll twice. He’s delaying supplier payments. Even worse, he chose not to bid for a major government contract because he couldn’t afford to. That’s true ? he couldn’t afford to bid for new business. He was afraid of having to add more employees and buy more materials.
How can that be?
Like most business owners, Peter extends terms to his clients. They usually pay him in 30 to 45 days. But, since Peter runs a small business, his suppliers demand that he pay them in 10 days. Plus employees need to be paid every two weeks.
In summary. Peter has clients that want to pay in 45 days and suppliers/employees that want to be paid in 10. Since the company does not have a lot of money in the bank, the math doesn’t work.
Is there a solution? Yes, Peter should consider factoring his invoices to fix his cash flow. Factoring will provide him with the necessary cash to pay suppliers and employees, while eliminating the 30 to 45 day wait to get paid.
Invoice factoring works as follows:
1. You deliver the product or service and invoice your client
2. You send a copy of the invoice to the factoring company for financing
3. The factoring company advances you up to 90% of the invoice. You get immediate funds.
4. Once your client pays the invoice, the transaction is settled
With factoring, Peter will be able to meet his current obligations. His company will also have enough cash on hand (or liquidity) to bid on new job proposals, allowing him to grow the business and take it to the next level.
A vending machine company will supply you with the vending machines you need if you are thinking about starting your own vending machine business. It may be difficult for you to choose a company to deal with if you cannot find a company for vending machines near where you live. There are many of them with an online presence, but you have to consider the cost of getting the machines to you. A vending machine company sells both new and used vending machines so you will have different prices to choose from.
Starting a vending business is not the same as starting any other type of business. You will be home based and just travel your route to service the machines on a regular basis. Servicing means taking the money out of the machines, restocking the products and making sure that the vending machines are working properly. To get started in a vending machine business, you first contact a vending machine company to purchase the machines that you want. You will find both new and used vending machines for sale, so you can make the decision both on the products you want to sell and the cost of the machines.
A vending machine company can take the form of one person operating a home based business or a large company with many staff prepared to take your order. If you choose a company that you find online, you really have to size up the website to help you make the decision. Ask yourself if this company has a wide range of vending machines and whether or not it also sells the bulk vending products you will need. You should be able to browse the list of used vending machines for sale as well as get valuable information about starting a vending business.
If the vending machine company that you start with treats you well, you will of course stay with that company. Changing companies in the middle of starting a vending business will not project a very good image of you to the business associates you make when placing the vending machines in locations. Therefore, it is important that you do research the company before you make a commitment to buy or rent any of its vending machines. If you buy the machines, then you can choose any supplier you wish for the products, but if you lease the machines, you may be stuck with the company until the end of the lease.
Any vending machine company that continually puts roadblocks in your way when starting a vending business is one that you should steer clear or. If you cannot get clear answers to your questions about the used vending machines for sale or about how they operate, you will not be able to develop a good relationship with this company. Since each vending machine company does have different prices for the machines, it is a good idea to check out several companies before you make your final decision.
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