By Naomi Rich, COO of ProSec
18th February, 2026
Often mistaken for an Executive Assistant, a Company Secretary is actually a specialist compliance and governance professional, quietly making sure Companies House filings are made on time, registers are accurate, directors are informed and deadlines haven’t slipped.
But what does that actually mean?
My day always starts off with checking the daily filing deadlines – what needs to be filed at Companies House that day. Many Company Secretaries will use third party software that links to Companies House to manage their clients’ filings and at ProSec, we use Inform Direct. This flags up filing dates and highlights what is due. We always send draft filings to clients for approval before submitting to Companies House. I have been caught out by filing information provided to us by clients only to be told once it is showing on Companies House that something is wrong. Sending draft filings to clients is a good way to avoid having to file corrections.
Next on my list is my email inbox. I will check what has come in overnight that needs attention. If a new client request has come through, I always like to respond quickly so the potential new customer doesn’t look elsewhere. This involves adding them as a possible lead into Clio (our CRM) and sending out our intro email with a link to our new client form. I will also always look them up on Companies House to have a quick scan of their filing history.
Emails can often come in requesting an action (for example issue new shares in the company or appoint a new director) which require more information before we can proceed so I reply with ‘next steps’ which ensures the client request keeps active.
Next, I will look at my ongoing ‘Task list’ (also held in Clio). I scan what is being flagged for that day as well as review past tasks which are still open. This is a way of keeping on top of the backlog of ‘To dos’. Tasks can range from sending out AML checks using our e-verification platform Legl, drafting board minutes and shareholder written resolutions for a share issuance or chasing information we are waiting for. A Company Secretary does a lot of ‘nudging’. We are very aware of the next steps, dates and deadlines but in the busy day-to-day of running a company, this can fall down the priority list for business owners. It is our job to make sure these things don’t get forgotten and the company stays compliant.
Throughout the week I will have meetings booked in – almost always online. These can range from new client introductions to discussing a particular issue with a colleague or a webinar on a cosec or compliance topic that contributes towards my ongoing CPD. As someone who works from home, meetings are good at breaking up the desk work and add some variety and contact during my working day.
I will often have a longer-term task to work on – populating historical statutory registers digitally for a new client or building an iterative Cap Table from incorporation. These types of tasks require focused, uninterrupted time so I put aside some time in my week that is not interrupted and absorb myself in unpicking the Companies House filings and making sure everything reconciles. I liken this to completing a giant jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces need to align.
At some point in the day, I run through future filing dates to make sure I know what is coming up and check that we have all the information we need in order to submit. With the introduction of identity verification (IDV) for company Directors and PSCs, we need to make sure we have all the necessary IDV codes uploaded into the company profile in Inform Direct in time to submit the company’s confirmation statements. We also manage a number of Register of Overseas Entities filings (overseas companies that own land or property in the UK) and this involves contacting the companies before the filing date to ask if anything has changed over the last 12 months. We only generally have contact with these clients around the filing dates so it’s important to build in enough time to take carry out new AML checks if required.
To finish my day, I will look at what is coming up over the next few days and write reminders for anything key for the next day. No two days are ever quite the same, and that’s what I love about it. The job is part detective work, part project management and part gentle but persistent nudging – all in service of making sure the company stays compliant. If you’re a founder, director or business owner who’d like to make sure your company is in good shape, feel free to get in touch.
