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Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.

What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.

While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.

Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.

From pay, hours and time off to discipline, grievance and hiring and firing employees, find out about your legal responsibilities as an employer.

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.

From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.

One in six freelancers have no savings

11 August 2020

A new study has found that 17% of self-employed workers have no financial buffer and less than one in ten have insurance to protect their income.

The research, conducted by the economics consultancy Cebr for insurer The Exeter, reveals that almost one-third of freelancers have very little money to fall back on in the event of a financial crisis.

The findings show that:

  • 17% of self-employed workers in the UK have no personal savings at all to fall back on;
  • A further 14% of self-employed workers have less than £2,000 in savings.

The latest Government figures show that over half of the five million self-employed workers in the UK have claimed for a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), with 2.7 million claims granted, worth a total of £7.8 billion.

Less than one in ten (9%) of self-employed workers protect their income through insurance. In fact, 65% of the UK adult population do not have any form of protection insurance in place.

The findings also show that a third (35%) of self-employed workers do not save anything at all in a typical month. Nearly four in ten (39%) of those aged 35-44 said they saved nothing per month, the highest of any age group, followed by 38% of respondents aged 45-54 and 33% of over-55s.

Despite the low level of saving among the self-employed, 52% of respondents said they would rely on their savings if they suffered a loss of income. However, 43% of all those polled said they save less than £50 per month.

Andy Chapman, ceo of The Exeter, said: "Self-employed and gig economy workers are a large part of the UK's labour market, representing 15% of the workforce. However, despite the benefits which being self-employed can bring, this type of labour can pose risks to an individual's financial situation if they are suddenly unable to work. Indeed, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak we saw many of these individuals face an income shortfall almost overnight as the UK went into lockdown.

"Half of self-employed workers in our survey said they would use their personal savings if they experienced a loss of income, despite a concerningly low level of savings among this group. However, what is perhaps more worrying is the significant level of underinsurance among this group, with just 9% of those surveyed saying they had income protection."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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