The £100 Decision:
Why Waiting to Register Your Business Is Already Costing You
There is a quiet moment in every entrepreneurial journey when intention becomes action. Often, it is not the idea that delays progress. It is timing. Comfort. The belief that there will always be a better moment to begin.
That moment is closing.
Companies House has confirmed that the standard fee to register a company will rise to £100 from February 2026. On the surface, this may look like a minor administrative change. In reality, it is a signal. A small policy shift that exposes a bigger truth about momentum, preparedness and the cost of delay.
For founders in the Start Up community, this is not just about fees. It is about what happens when you keep waiting.
Here are five reasons why now is the moment to schedule and move forward.
1. Delay Always Costs More Than Action
The registration fee is only the visible cost. The invisible costs are lost contracts, delayed credibility, missed grants and postponed confidence. Each month you wait is a month your business is not learning, earning or evolving.
2. Legitimacy Changes How You Think and Are Treated
Once you are registered, something shifts. You stop speaking hypothetically. You stop being “aspiring.” Banks, partners, clients and even your own mind respond differently when your business exists on paper and in law.
3. Systems Reward Those Who Are Ready
Funding, procurement opportunities, accelerators and partnerships do not wait for potential. They require structure. A registered company is often the minimum threshold to even enter the room.
4. Momentum Is a Psychological Asset
Behavioural research shows that action creates clarity, not the other way around. Registering your business is not the end of thinking. It is the beginning of better thinking, sharper decisions and more grounded strategy.
5. The Future Is Becoming More Regulated, Not Less
Rising fees are rarely isolated events. They are part of a wider tightening around compliance, identity verification and governance. Early movers adapt more easily. Late movers feel the pressure.
This is not about rushing. It is about recognising when the environment is nudging you forward.
If you have been “almost ready” for months, this is your sign. Schedule the registration. Move from idea to infrastructure. Let your business begin its real education.
If this resonated and you recognise that some of these lessons feel heavier than they should be, you do not have to navigate them alone. The National Black Women’s Network is working with trusted, qualified and experienced partners who understand not only the professional and personal challenges women face, but also the cultural, intergenerational and systemic factors that can create invisible barriers.
Whether the issue shows up in leadership, confidence, relationships, money, health, or transition, our partners are chosen because they work with depth, care and cultural intelligence. If you would like support, guidance, or to be signposted to the right help, contact us directly.
Sometimes progress is not about pushing harder, but about being supported properly while you move forward.
