By Linda Nnamani

SME’s is believed to be catalysts for economic growth and national development both in developing and developed countries.
Nigeria as a developing country has a host of opportunities to be tapped into and utilized by its citizens. Majority of these has seized such opportunities to startup businesses as a means of livelihood in order to ameliorate hardship in these volatile economic times and also as an alternative to joblessness which is common in the country; however, more often than not, people undermine the need and importance of giving a legal protection to their businesses.

A lot call themselves business owners and entrepreneurs without giving their businesses the standard legal protection that it needs, this trend is wrong and at times catastrophic.
The first step to take to protect your business while starting up involves:
Registration of your business with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
The commission is the authorized agency empowered by law to regulate and supervise the affairs of companies in Nigeria.
There are different types of companies which can be registered in Nigeria. There includes partnership, company limited by shares, company limited by guarantee and an unlimited company, the intending business owner can choose the type suitable for him/her, depending on nature of business the person is willing to undertake.
It is also very important to note that certain legal considerations must be undertaken to form a company. The prospective business owner must be up to 18, be of sound mind, must not be bankrupt etc.
The importance of registering your business cannot be over emphasized as it runs deep into the progress or failure of your business. Registering and starting up a company might seem like a big step however it is accompanied by several rosy benefits.

Benefits of registering a business
As stated earlier, the benefit(s) of registering a business is enormous. The benefits include:
It gives you a unique identity to the exclusion of all others
It validates your business: In this time an era where fraud rate is high, Investors and customers need vendors they can trust.
It protects you from Liability: When you register a limited liability company, your risks are limited to the number of shares taken.
It has perpetual succession: You can pass your business from generation to generation. Leave your footprint in the sand of time, the importance of continuity cannot be over stated. Your business can become another SHELL OR JULIUS BERGER
It helps in establishing a corporate bank account. It is more professional to give your clients a business account for payment instead of your personal account which has your own full name.
It is more convenient to obtain loan with a registered business: You are taken more seriously, Investors want to know that your business is structured, exists legally and is separate from your personal account.
It gets you that desired contract. While bidding for a contract, a registered business always gives your company priority over others.
It prompts funding when opportunities arise from government. There are lots of sustainable processes set up by the government capable of building the prospect of small and medium scale enterprises and consequently can be a path to national recovery of the Nigeria ailing economy. But you need to be seen as someone who is ready.
It may cost you some money, time and effort but it’s really a small price to pay to avoid costly damages and regret down the road. START SMALL, START SMART, REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS NOW.

Linda Nnamani
Corporate Law
TRIAX SOLICITORS
cgov@triaxsolicitors.com

please what am i to do