# @shivikaapratap on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZqF-cGjHqu
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66898712-shivikaapratap-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/15f022d0ff.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-16T18:59:52.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Shivika Pratap (@shivikaapratap) — https://gondola.cc/shivikaapratap

## Caption

Day2/30: When I launched my first company, I had no idea what it would actually cost me in year one.

Not just the registration fee but everything else that quietly adds up. The accountant you scramble to find after making a mess of your accounts. The domain you bought for 99p that renews at £15. The coffees, the travel, the tools, the subscriptions. Nobody hands you a breakdown. You figure it out as you go, and usually the hard way.

I took the leap and jumped in the deep end. I wouldn’t recommend that approach, especially not for international founders who already have enough to navigate.

Here’s what I remember vividly: registering my company at 3am, filling in the Companies House application, and paying £12 to do it.

£12.

That same registration costs £100 today. And it’ll only keep rising.

If you have an idea you’ve validated, if you’ve been sitting on it, waiting for the “right time”, this is your sign. The costs aren’t going down. The window isn’t getting wider.

I’m sharing this breakdown because I wish someone had shared it with me. Not to scare you, but to prepare you. Because the founders who know what they’re walking into are the ones who actually make it through year one.

Save this post. Share it with someone who’s about to start.

And if you’re an international founder figuring out how to build your business in the UK, through the Innovator Founder Visa or Global Talent Visa- link in bio. Let’s talk.

More honest, practical content on building in the UK as global talent coming your way. Follow along 

#UKStartup #InternationalFounder #StartupCosts #CompaniesHouse #InnovatorFounderVisa

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 23
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 4

## Tags

companieshouse, innovatorfoundervisa, internationalfounder, startupcosts, ukstartup

---
Copyright (c) Gondola