1st Formations

22/10/2026

🎉 One year as an accredited Living Hours Employer!

We’ve been a Living Wage Employer since 2019, and in October 2025, we became the ninth Living Hours Employer in London and one of the first 100 in the UK.

At 1st Formations, we believe fair work means more than paying a fair wage. It also means giving people greater security over their working hours, with reliable schedules and more certainty about their income.

Our Living Hours accreditation reflects our commitment to helping create a workplace where people can plan ahead, balance their responsibilities, and feel secure in their work.

A huge thank you to the Living Wage Foundation for championing fair pay and fair working conditions across the UK.

Find out more about what becoming a Living Hours Employer means and why it matters. 👇️

Find out what it means to be a Living Hours Employer. Learn why, at 1st Formations, we commit to fair hour guarantees and more.

07/10/2026

You open your inbox and there it is: a one-star review from a customer who says your business was slow, unhelpful, and not worth the money. 😬

Your first reaction might be to fire back. But when a negative review is public, your response is being read by far more people than the person who left it.

So, what shouldn't you do?

❌ Ignore legitimate criticism – if there's a genuine complaint, leaving it unanswered can make the situation worse.

❌ Respond while angry – give yourself time to assess the complaint and write a measured response.

❌ Try to win the argument – politely correct any factual errors, but never in a way that attacks or embarrasses the reviewer.

There's more to get wrong than you'd think. Our full guide covers other common mistakes, including what to do when you think a review should be removed.👇️

What's the trickiest review you've had to respond to?

Learn how to respond to negative reviews professionally, with examples, templates, and tips to protect your business's reputation.

30/09/2026

Your salary as a director often has three jobs: it's your income, it builds your State Pension, and it's the number lenders look at if you ever want a mortgage.

Most directors set it once, in year one, and never touch it again. That could be a mistake.

Here's what's worth checking:

💸 What the business can comfortably sustain - Salary is a fixed monthly cost. Build it around steady cash flow, and let dividends flex with profit as it comes in.

✅ What might you need to prove later - Planning a mortgage application? Lenders favour consistent salary over lumpy dividends.

📈 How much has changed since you last set it - Your year-one number was a solid starting point. By year three or five, it’s worth a fresh look.

Directors: How did you land on your first-ever salary, and has it changed since?

Full guide on working out your own salary and dividend mix 👉 https://www.1stformations.co.uk/resources/director-salary-and-dividends/

15/09/2026

Thinking about paying yourself a dividend from your limited company? 💷

There’s more to it than transferring money from your business account to your personal account.

Dividends can only be paid from available distributable profits, and you still need to follow the correct process even if you’re the company’s only director and shareholder.

Want to make sure you get the process right from the start? Check out our video guide to find out how dividends work, who can receive them, and how to approve a dividend correctly. 👇

What are company dividends, and how do you pay them correctly from ...

11/09/2026

You’re about to share your business idea with a potential investor, partner, or supplier. How confident are you that the information will stay confidential?

That’s where a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) can help. An NDA can protect sensitive information like:

🔐 Business plans, and financial information
💡 Ideas, research, and intellectual property
🤝 Information shared with partners, investors, or suppliers
👥 Confidential employee or customer data

But an NDA isn’t a one-size-fits-all document, and there are situations where you shouldn’t use one. That's why we've written this guide to help walk you through the process: https://www.1stformations.co.uk/blog/non-disclosure-agreement/

👉 When was the last time your business used an NDA, and what was it for? Let us know in the comments below.

Find out when your company needs a non-disclosure agreement, what to include, and how the Employment Rights Act affects NDAs.

09/09/2026

Since 2014, our goal has been simple: eliminate the friction of starting a business by delivering a reliable, end-to-end service.

That's why we’re thrilled to share that 1st Formations has been shortlisted for 3 major national awards in 2026:

🏆 UK Customer Experience Awards (UKCXA™ 2026)
🏆 The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards
🏆 The Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards

As the UK’s only B Corp-certified formation agent, this recognition reflects a business built on doing things right. Over 1 million founders have placed their trust in 1st Formations, and we can't wait to show you what's next.

Check out our latest video to see how our team, values, and dedication to UK entrepreneurs brought us here. 👇

07/09/2026

We’re delighted to share that 1st Formations has been shortlisted for Vistage Growth Business of the Year at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards 2026! 🏆

The category recognises growing businesses that are demonstrating strong performance across growth, leadership and innovation, employee and customer engagement, and purpose beyond profit.

Here's why we've been shortlisted:

📈 Sustained growth – We’ve recorded double-digit growth every full year since 2020, despite a wider slowdown in company incorporations

💡 Innovation – We introduced automated identity verification and compliance workflows ahead of major Companies House reforms, reducing manual processing by an estimated 60–70%

🤝 Customer focus – Our Hassle-Free Compliance Service was launched to give directors more proactive support as their compliance responsibilities increase

🌱 Purpose beyond profit – We’re a Certified B Corp, a carbon-neutral business and a Real Living Wage employer, while also supporting communities through partnerships and charitable initiatives

We’re incredibly proud to see the work of our team recognised alongside some of the UK’s most exciting growing businesses.

Check out the full story to learn more about the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards and why 1st Formations has been shortlisted. 👇

1st Formations is a finalist in the Vistage Growth Business of the Year category at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards.

31/08/2026

We’ve got some exciting news… 🏆

1st Formations CEO and founder Graeme Donnelly has been shortlisted for Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year at The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards!

It’s a brilliant recognition of the work Graeme and our team are doing to make sustainability part of how we run our business. We’ve already taken steps to become carbon neutral and net zero, reduce waste and paper use, improve energy efficiency, and support environmental projects.

But sustainability isn’t a finish line. Here’s what we’re working towards next:

📈 Build on our B Corp certification and improve our B Impact score by 10% before we recertify in 2028

🌍 Halve our total emissions by 2050, supported by a formal Carbon Reduction Plan

🚀 Double the resources and partnerships helping startups make more sustainable choices

👉 Want to learn more about Graeme being shortlisted and our sustainability journey? Read the full story here: https://www.1stformations.co.uk/blog/sustainability-entrepreneur-award/

Congratulations, Graeme! 👏

26/08/2026

Happy International Dog Day! 🐶

If you’ve ever thought you could happily spend your working day surrounded by dogs, today might be the perfect excuse to explore the idea.

Dog walking can be a rewarding way to turn a love of animals into a business, with relatively low startup costs and plenty of flexibility.

Thinking about giving it a go?

🐾 Decide what services you’ll offer, from solo walks to group walks or pet sitting

📍 Research your local market and work out what other dog walkers are charging

🛡️ Look into the insurance, licences, and other requirements that may apply to your business

📣 Build your reputation through great customer service and word-of-mouth recommendations

For more tips and tricks, take a look at our guide on how to start your own dog walking business:
https://www.1stformations.co.uk/resources/how-to-start-dog-walking-business/

And now for the important bit... Drop a picture of your dog in the comments! We'd love to see them. 👇

Find out how to start a dog walking business in the UK – from startup costs and insurance to pricing, licensing, and registering with HMRC.

17/08/2026

Miss your Companies House accounts deadline and a £150 fine is just the beginning. 💸

For a private limited company, filing more than six months late can mean a £1,500 penalty. File late for a second consecutive year and that fine doubles to £3,000.

And the consequences go beyond the fine. Companies House can start the process of forcibly closing a company that hasn’t filed its accounts, while late filing can also damage your reputation with lenders, suppliers and business partners.

There’s also one deadline many directors may not know about: if you need more time, you can apply for an extension of up to three months, but you must do it before your original deadline.

Want to know what else can happen if you miss your deadline, including the rules around dormant companies and appealing a penalty? Check out our new video guide. 👇

Missing your Companies House accounts deadline can have serious con...