{"slug":"startup-without-limited-company","title":"New consultancy without a UK limited company","question":"Can a sole trader use the current Netify BT reseller route?","description":"A synthetic example showing why legal-entity status needs manual confirmation before a full reseller application.","organisation":"New independent technology consultancy","situation":["The business currently operates as a sole trader.","The owner has relevant technical and customer experience.","Other onboarding material has not yet been prepared because the legal route is unresolved."],"input":{"businessType":"it-consultant","ukRegisteredLtd":"no","physicalWorkspaceEvidence":"not-sure","abcPolicyStatus":"not-sure","regulatoryDataProtectionStatus":"not-sure","namedComplianceOwner":"yes"},"completedComplianceItems":[],"synthetic":true,"readiness":{"status":"likely-blocker","label":"Likely blocker","reasoning":"The current programme information indicates that UK limited company status is likely to be required. Netify must confirm the formal position before ruling out an alternative route.","itemsToResolve":["Ask Netify to confirm whether your legal entity can use this reseller route."],"nextStep":"Contact Netify for a manual review before completing the full application.","formalDecisionRequired":true,"rulesetVersion":"2026-08-27.1"},"compliance":{"version":"2026-08-27.1","completedCount":0,"totalCount":6,"status":"preparation-incomplete","label":"6 items to prepare","completed":[],"outstanding":[{"id":"company-details","label":"Registered company details are available and current","stage":"Netify review"},{"id":"workspace-evidence","label":"Working-environment evidence can be supplied if requested","stage":"BT nomination"},{"id":"abc-policy","label":"Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy is documented","stage":"Compliance onboarding"},{"id":"data-protection","label":"Data-protection procedures are documented","stage":"Compliance onboarding"},{"id":"regulated-sales","label":"Regulated-sales process has an owner","stage":"Compliance onboarding"},{"id":"brand-use","label":"The business is ready to follow current BT brand guidance","stage":"Brand onboarding"}],"boundary":"This preparation result is not compliance certification, Netify acceptance, BT approval, portal access or activation.","next":"Prepare the outstanding items or submit the application with the current position. Netify can explain what is required during human review."},"dueDiligence":{"version":"2026-08-27.1","status":"information-required","label":"1 review area need information","summary":"5 due-diligence areas are shown. 3 will be confirmed during human review.","areas":[{"id":"legal-entity","label":"Legal entity","whatNetifyReviews":"The registered business identity and whether the proposed reseller route is appropriate for that entity.","usefulInformation":"Registered name, company number, trading address and main contact.","source":"ukRegisteredLtd","answer":"no","state":"information-required","stateLabel":"Information required"},{"id":"ofcom-sales-process","label":"Ofcom sales process","whatNetifyReviews":"How applicable regulated-sales requirements will be handled, including the customer Contract Summary process.","usefulInformation":"Current sales process, customer journey and the person responsible for regulated-sales controls.","source":"regulatoryDataProtectionStatus","answer":"not-sure","state":"confirm-during-review","stateLabel":"Confirm during review"},{"id":"data-protection","label":"Data protection","whatNetifyReviews":"How prospect and customer data is handled during sales and account activity.","usefulInformation":"Privacy information, access controls, retention approach and incident-escalation ownership.","source":"regulatoryDataProtectionStatus","answer":"not-sure","state":"confirm-during-review","stateLabel":"Confirm during review"},{"id":"customer-data-staff-location","label":"Customer-data access and staff location","whatNetifyReviews":"Who can access customer information and where relevant work is performed. Netify confirms what is material for the application.","usefulInformation":"Roles with customer-data access, working locations and any third-party access arrangements.","source":"human-review","answer":"not-sure","state":"confirm-during-review","stateLabel":"Confirm during review"},{"id":"compliance-owner","label":"Named compliance owner","whatNetifyReviews":"Who owns compliance activity and can respond to evidence or process questions.","usefulInformation":"Name, role and responsibility of the proposed owner. This can be an existing director or team member where appropriate.","source":"namedComplianceOwner","answer":"yes","state":"evidence-to-verify","stateLabel":"Evidence to verify"}],"boundary":"This is a preparation plan, not an audited due-diligence record, Netify acceptance, BT approval or permission to trade.","next":"Netify reviews the submitted application, requests any necessary evidence and confirms whether the application can progress to BT nomination."},"canonical":"https://netify.co.uk/resell/bt-business-services/examples/startup-without-limited-company/","methodology":"Computed from the same public readiness, compliance-preparation and due-diligence rules as the live Netify assessment.","privacy":"Synthetic example only. No applicant or customer data is shown."}