B&Q is the third largest home improvement retail company in the world with 321 stores in the UK and 60 stores spread across the globe. In 2009/10 retail sales were £4 billion, with profits of £195million. It is part of the Kingfisher Group plc. The company’s name B&Q comes from the names of its founders: [more...]
Marks and Spencer is one of the UK’s leading retail brands. It employs over 80,000 people in 500 stores in over 30 countries. Clothing and homeware sales represent 51% of their business, while food is 49%. Yet this company had its humble beginnings at a market stall where Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer sold items [more...]
Burberry Group plc is a leading global fashion brand which now sells womenswear, menswear, non-apparel and children’s wear. It is famous for its iconic trademarked check design and British heritage branding. In 2009, the company’s global luxury goods market estimated retail value was over 150bn Euros. A far cry from its establishment as a Victorian [more...]
GlaxoSmithKline plc is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world with a global market share of at least seven per cent. The company’s headquarters is in the UK with subsidiaries throughout the world. The company conducts research into medicines and vaccines to deal with the major threats of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It [more...]
If your company sells goods or services to other companies, you will normally offer credits terms once you are satisfied with the their credit worthiness. Occasionally a purchaser will default on their payment by delaying payment of the debt, or even worse, going into liquidation. This often causes havoc with your cash flow, squeezes your [more...]
If you are in the business of selling goods to other companies, then it is normal business practise to offer the purchasing company credit terms once they have established their credit worthiness. Occasionally, a purchaser will default on their payment by going into liquidation or delaying payment of the debt. This can be a very [more...]
Jersey is an important off-shore banking and finance centre. If you are thinking of conducting business in Jersey, either incorporating a new company there, or you need to check out your potential customer or business partner and their previous commercial experience, then the Jersey Company Registry is the place to start. On Jersey, the Director [more...]
Don’t sail into troubled waters. Check out that company. St Peter Port, Guernsey (photo by Thowra_uk CC-BY) If you are thinking of conducting business in Guernsey, either incorporating a new company there, or you need to check out your potential customer or business partner and their previous commercial experience, then the Guernsey Company Registry is [more...]
If you are thinking of conducting business in Czech Republic, you may need to check out your potential customers, or if entering into partnership or other business with them, their previous commercial experience or involvement in bankruptcy. The Registers of Economic Subjects and Entities (Administrativní registr ekonomických subjektu) can be found on part of the [more...]
If you are thinking of conducting business in Hong Kong or forming a new company there, you may need to check out if the potential name is already in use or review your potential business partner’s accounts and previous commercial experience. There are two places to do this: the Companies Registry and the Business Registration [more...]
You may need to find out the details of company or business in the Netherlands for several reasons: potential business partner, taking legal action, or if you are thinking of forming a company in the Netherlands and need to check out if the potential name is already in use. The Netherlands Chamber of Commerce is [more...]
In New Zealand the government body responsible for the Companies Register is the New Zealand Companies Office. It records information on limited liability companies – both domestic and overseas companies carrying on business in New Zealand. It also records on a separate register, information on other entities such as building societies, charitable trusts credit unions [more...]
If you are thinking of conducting business in the Republic of Ireland, you may need to check out your potential customers, or if entering into partnership or other business with them, their previous commercial experience. In the Republic of Ireland the Companies Registration Office houses the Register of Companies and Business Names (An Oifig um [more...]
You may need to find out the details of company or business in Switzerland for several reasons: potential business partner, taking legal action, or if you are thinking of forming a company in Switzerland and need to check out if the potential name is already in use. The Central Register of the Federal Commercial Registry [more...]
For a person with no business knowledge it may sometimes seem a daunting prospect to find out who the directors of a UK company are. However, it is relatively easy, and most importantly, inexpensive to find out. You can also find other information such as the company’s accounts and annual returns, and their Registered Office [more...]