Letterhead is a piece of business stationery. It is used for official communications from a business. However, letterhead is not merely a piece of paper used to type up letters. It is one of the more important elements of a brand. In many cases it is one of the first impressions for a brand to customers and potential clients. Therefore, you should ensure your letterhead is professional. Potential customers may assume the professionalism of your business via the letterhead. Let’s look at some important elements and how to make the most of this element of business stationery.
Legal Requirements for Letterhead
The first order of business is to ensure it is legally compliant. As a business you want to avoid any expenditure that could have been avoided. Therefore, let’s review what the Companies Act requires from all letterhead.
The Companies Act of 2008 lists a number of particulars that must appear on your letterhead. In addition, these requirements are also to be included on your order forms and company websites.
The Name of the Business
While this is a requirement, it really shouldn’t take the law to get you to include your business name! You want your recipient to know who has sent this communication.
The Part of the Country the Business Is Registered
Your letterhead must include what part of the United Kingdom your business is registered. If you are based out of Belfast, it is most likely your business is registered in Northern Ireland.
The Registered Company Number
The company’s registered number must be included on your letter. This ensures the recipient that your company is legitimate.
The Address of the Company’s Registered Office
While including your business address is a good idea, it’s not mandatory. However, the address of where your company is registered must be present on your letterhead.
There are some additional rules, depending on the specific type of business. Check to see if any of these apply to you:
Sole Trader
If you are a sole trader, and trade under a business name, rather than your name, you must ensure your name (not the business) and business address is included.
Partnerships
If your company is a partnership, your letterhead must include the names of all partners and principal office address. If you do not have a principal office, you must indicate the addresses where the partners can be found. In the instance of many partners you can point out where a list of the partners and their addresses can be found.
Limited Companies
If a company is exempt from the requirement to use limited in its name, the letterhead must state the fact that it is limited. In addition, this also applies to any companies that are a community interest and not public. Therefore, they also must state the company is limited.
Charitable or Investment Companies
If the company is a charity but does not have “charity” or “charitable” in the company name, the letterhead must state it is indeed a charity. In addition, if the company is of the investment varies with no “investment” in the name; letterhead must call out the nature of the business.
Additional Callouts
We’ve looked at what must be included in your letterhead. However, we aren’t done yet. There are some additional items, while not mandatory, you should include in your letterhead. This information is more customer friendly, although the legal requirements do prove the legitimacy of the company.
Contact Information
Your letterhead should include your office address and additional contact information. Phone number and email are key bits of information to include. These give your recipients methods to access your business directly. If you still are using a fax, including the fax number is a worthy addition to your letterhead.
Web & Social Presence
In the digital age it is ever so important to include your digital presence. Many potential customers will take a quick visit to your website and review the work. In addition, include your social media handles so recipients have quick and easy access to these channels. This is especially vital in retaining the younger audience.
Letterhead at Kaizen Print
With letterhead, the professionalism of your business will be evident. In addition to having all the required and relevant information, the print quality can say so much. At Kaizen Print, our letterhead paper is printed on a premium 120gsm uncoated paper stock. Your letterhead can be printed single or double sided. In addition, there is the option for printing in A4 or A5 sizes.
Kaizen Print has been in the business of printing letterhead and all elements of business stationery and more. We have been providing effective business stationery solutions for over ten years. Kaizen Print has offices in Belfast, Dublin, Omagh, Enniskillen and more. To discuss your letterhead, get in touch by email via our contact form, or by calling 028 9002 2474.
