How Does the Full Company Secretary Service Work?

Contents 1. Onboarding Process 2. Completion Times 3. FCSS Requests 4. Relaying all information 5. What information do you need from the customer? What is your process? 6. Dormant Accounts & Confirmation Statement for FCSS 7. FCSS Services Included 8. Contact Details for Account Managers 9. Are the Account Managers Qualified Company Secretaries?     Onboarding Process How does the onboarding process work? After the service is sold, the customer will receive onboarding emails within 24 hours (this delay is due to the CRM otherwise we would send the emails sooner). One of these emails is a welcome message from their assigned account manager, who will introduce themselves and share their contact details. When closing a sale, you can advise the customer to reply to this email to initiate their request. If the matter is urgent, you can submit an FCSS Request.      Back to Contents   Completion Times How long does it take to complete a request? We usually advise a timeframe of 3-5 working days, but this depends on two key factors:  Compliance: If compliance documents are missing, FCSS must obtain them before proceeding. This process can take time, so saying 3-5 working days may lead to overpromising. Always specify that the timeline is subject to compliance. You can check eFiling to verify if the necessary compliance is already on file. All FCSS orders require the customer, as well as all members with a greater than 25% interest, to submit and have their Credas/Certified ID and Proof of Address accepted. MLC checks and Creditserve are not permitted for Full CoSec. Customer Engagement: We rely on customers to respond to our emails. Without their input, we cannot proceed. Some customers assume that once they purchase the service, the transfer of shares is automatic—this isn’t the case. We need detailed information from them to move forward 😝 Back to Contents   FCSS Requests Why do I need to send an FCSS Request? Why can’t I assign the email? Each account manager is assigned specific companies. To ensure the request reaches the correct person, you need to send it to us for distribution. This process also allows me to track the number of requests and maintain a Zendesk history of the orders. If you’re wondering whether your request has been addressed, simply search for the company name in Zendesk. You’ll find a link to the account manager’s ticket there. Back to Contents   Relaying all Information Why is it important to relay the information the customer has said over the phone/email? If a customer has clearly explained what they need and you don’t pass that information to us, it only leads to frustration. We often hear customers say, “I’ve already told someone this!” To avoid this, ensure you document as much detail as possible about their request. This allows us to begin our correspondence with the necessary information and provide a smoother experience for the customer. Acceptable: “Sally Smith wants to transfer 100 shares to Jane Smith, resign as director/PSC, CS filing” Not Acceptable: “Share Transfer” (unless no information has been provided by the customer).   Back to Contents   What information do you need from the customer? What is your process? We have a 5/6-stage process for FCSS requests.  (If we already have the information to proceed, we will combine step 1+2) Confirmation of Request: We confirm the customer’s request to ensure understanding and introduce ourselves. Information Request: If needed, we reach out to gather additional details. Awaiting Confirmation to Proceed (Proposal) & Your Compliance is Required: We send a proposal outlining the requested changes, the impact on the company structure, and transaction usage. We confirm the request with compliance or request compliance if needed. Delivery: We prepare and send documents via DocuSign for the customer to sign. Company Profile: After signing, we send the company profile for the customer to review and confirm accuracy. Order Complete This ticket is a good example of the 5/6 stages and how they appear in Zendesk: https://1stformationslimited.zendesk.com/agent/tickets/1602218  If a customer asks about their order, you can check Zendesk. The subject line in the history will start with the company name followed by the stage they are at in the process. E.g. [COMPANY NAME] – Information Request   Back to Contents   Dormant Accounts & Confirmation Statement for FCSS How does the confirmation statement and dormant account service work? Dormant Accounts are filed upon request. Customers must contact us after the 'made up to' date has passed on Companies House. This date marks the opening of the filing period, and companies have nine months from then to file their accounts. The reason this service is request-based is that a company can start trading at any time without our knowledge. Customers must confirm their company is dormant for us to file dormant accounts. Filing dormant accounts is optional, not mandatory. Confirmation Statements are a legal requirement and must be filed annually. We proactively reach out to customers when their confirmation statement is due. Each week, we compile a list of companies from Companies House for our 12,000 FCSS clients. Customers simply need to complete our questionnaire when contacted—no additional fees apply. Back to Contents   FCSS Services Included What is included in the Full Company Secretary Service? Not many people know this but we can complete 21 different services under FCSS.  I have provided a list of the transactions included below:  Change of Registered Office address Change of Accounting Reference Date Approval of annual accounts Change of company name Appointment of a director Resignation of a director Transfer of shares (up to 2 shareholders) Issue of shares (up to 2 shareholders) Add or remove a guarantor (for companies limited by guarantee) Acquisition by the company of its own shares for no consideration People with Significant Control filings Change of director or secretary details Notification or change to a Single Alternative Inspection Location (SAIL) address Director resolution to add, remove, or change the details of an individual on the company's bank mandate Basic director approval to enter into an agreement Basic interim or final dividend approval Dormant company accounts (please note, this is not a renewable service and will need to be requested each year, if required) Consolidation of share certificates Authorising or de-authorising an individual to act as a signatory Replace lost share certificates (including indemnity form) Filing of additional confirmation statement to update SIC codes, statement of capital and/or shareholder list Please note that any technical services are not included in this service. Examples include date of birth corrections, removal of a residential address, and adoption of articles.   Back to Contents   Contact Details for Account Managers How can a customer contact their account manager?  Luke Murray-Johnson = 020 3949 4819 / luke@BRAND.co.uk Brooke Godbold = 020 3915 5920 / brooke@BRAND.co.uk Mohamed Motasim = 020 3897 0936 / mohamed.motasim@BRAND.co.uk Saba Kebede = 020 3917 4123 / saba@BRAND.co.uk Yana Yaneva = 020 3949 8496 / yana@BRAND.co.uk Anthony Elkhoury = 020 3910 6788 / anthony.georges@BRAND.co.uk   Back to Contents   Are the Account Managers Qualified Company Secretaries? No, the team consists of experienced company secretarial professionals. Most of us, including myself, Luke, Laura, Mo, Saba, and Anthony, are currently working towards our exams. The qualification process takes around three years and involves six exams. In the meantime, many of us have already earned a Certificate from the Chartered Governance Institute in Company Secretarial Practice and Share Registration Practice.   If you are still unsure about how the service works or have any further questions, please contact us. We will be happy to assist you and can update this article with additional information to help others.   Back to Contents