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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.

Revealed: best UK cities for women to start a business

13 April 2021

A new study has identified the UK cities where women have the best chance of starting a successful business.

Payments provider Dojo has analysed data from the past year to find the best UK cities for starting a business and specifically those places that give female entrepreneurs the best chance of success.

York is the best city in the UK for female entrepreneurs according to the research, closely followed by Wakefield, Stoke-on-Trent and Sunderland.

The study has focused on six key metrics in order to identify cities with the best working conditions for women to start a business: five-year business survival rates, the cost of living, average weekly pay, the number of female employees, the number of female business owners and the gender pay gap.

The findings show that the ten best cities overall for women business owners are: York, Wakefield, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Wolverhampton, Southampton, Plymouth, Perth, Hereford and Peterborough.

York takes the top spot, with 9% of female bosses and 66% of women in work. It has the third highest five-year business survival rate at 48% and several women-only networking groups such as York Women Mean Business.

In second place, Wakefield has 5% of female bosses and 66% of women are in work. It scored second place in both categories of the best places to start a business as a woman and the best place to start a business overall. Like York, the city has several networking opportunities for women, including Wakefield Women's Business Club.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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