0/3
Accountancy Practice Launch Programme · Stage 6 of 10
Your Brand
Give a brand-new practice a name that is legal, an identity that looks established, and words that say who you help.
How long
1–2 days
You’ll have
A compliant name, a one-page brand sheet, and your core messaging
Steps
3 steps
Resources
2 resources
-
01 Step 01
Step 01
Choose a compliant practice name
Get the name wrong and you breach both company-naming law and professional-body designation rules.
Do it yourself
- Check the name complies with the Companies Act 2006 Part 41 business-name rules and is not misleading.
- Check the designation rules: "Chartered Accountants" is restricted. An eligible ICAEW sole practitioner can use "Chartered" automatically, and a company needs a majority of chartered directors and ownership.
- If you are not eligible, do not use "chartered", "certified" or wording that implies a status you do not hold. If you are unregulated, "accountant" on its own is fine.
- Check the domain and Companies House availability before you commit.
Common mistake · Calling yourself "[Name] Chartered Accountants", or implying certification, without meeting your body’s eligibility rules. That is a disciplinary and misdescription issue, not a branding choice.
Time~half a day CostFree DifficultyEasyResource for this step
CHECKLISTPractice name compliance checklist
The company-naming and designation checks to run before you commit to a name.
-
02 Step 02
Step 02
Build a simple visual identity
Clients equate a tidy, consistent brand with a trustworthy, competent practice.
Do it yourself
- Create a wordmark or logo, a two-colour palette, and one heading typeface plus one body typeface, kept restrained and professional.
- Standardise your letterhead and email signature, and check your professional body’s rules on letterheads, which often govern how principals are listed.
- Set up a professional email address on your own domain, not a free Gmail account.
- Assemble a one-page brand sheet so everything you produce looks consistent.
Common mistake · Over-designing a flashy brand that reads as cheap for a profession where clients want sober competence.
Time~1–2 days Cost~£0 DIY, or ~£300–£800 for a designer (rough figure, get quotes) DifficultyEasy-MediumResource for this step
CHECKLISTOne-page brand sheet
The small kit that makes everything you send look like it came from the same firm.
-
03 Step 03
Step 03
Write your core messaging
Consistent words about who you help make every later marketing step easier.
Do it yourself
- Turn your Module 1 positioning line into a short "about", a one-sentence tagline, and three proof points: qualifications, niche focus, and service promise.
- Decide whether to lead with your professional-body credential, a strong trust signal if you hold it.
- Draft a short "why I started this practice" note, because small practices sell on the person.
- Keep the tone plain and reassuring, not heavy with jargon.
Common mistake · Generic "trusted, proactive, professional" copy that says nothing and makes you indistinguishable from every other firm.
Time~half a day CostFree DifficultyEasy
What you’ll have after this stage
- A practice name that meets company-naming and designation rules
- A wordmark, a two-colour palette and a legible typeface pairing
- A one-page brand sheet and a professional email on your own domain
- Core messaging: a short about, a tagline and three proof points
Next · Stage 7 of 10
Build Your Website & Client Portal
Keep going yourself — carry your momentum straight into the next stage.
Prefer we build it?
Hand this stage to us
Branding, and the website it lives on, are things we build. If you want your practice to look established and trustworthy from its first email and first proposal, we can create the identity, the one-page brand sheet and the polished look that carries across everything. We handle the design and the website, not the printing or the accountancy work itself, so you stay in charge of the regulated parts.