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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.

Skills England must focus on small businesses

23 July 2024

The Federation of Small Businesses has welcomed the creation of Skills England by the Labour government but it warns that the new body must not overlook the needs of the UK's 5.5 million small businesses.

The government has announced the creation of Skills England, a new training body which promises to "transform opportunities and drive growth". According to the government, UK skills shortages doubled to more than half a million between 2017 and 2022, and now account for 36% of job vacancies.

Skills England promises to bring together central and local government, businesses, unions, universities, colleges and training providers to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.

Prime minister Keir Starmer said the new strategy would "kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent. From construction to IT, healthcare to engineering, our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long-term. Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas."

A skills strategy that meets the needs of small firms

Responding to the announcement, Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: "More co-ordination is welcome, but delivery is what counts. Small firms will want to see real safeguards put in place so the new body is not 'captured' by large employers.

"The skills system needs to be adaptable and nimble, as there's great potential for improvements to growth and productivity if the entire workforce can be equipped with the right skills. Skills England must keep small businesses' needs and particular strengths central to its way of thinking, and must commit to making the skills system as straightforward as possible for them to navigate."

However, McKenzie raised concerns about the impact on apprenticeships within small firms. She said: "Skills England should be tasked with increasing the number of small business apprenticeships year-on-year. Small businesses were enthusiastic early adopters when it comes to apprentices - we want to see this new body overcome the real flaws in curriculum design which have been such a significant factor in apprenticeship decline."

Skills gaps and labour shortages

Businesses continue to report that skills shortages are impacting on recruitment as many firms say it's hard to recruit skilled workers. Research conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD) in May 2024 found that almost half (45%) of business leaders cited skills and labour shortages as having a negative impact on their organisation.

"Availability of skills remains a top issue for businesses. We welcome the government's commitment … to putting employer engagement at the heart of Skills England. It is crucial that analysis from Skills England is used to target government skills interventions in areas of current and future skills shortages so that businesses can recruit the staff they need." Alexandra Hall-Chen, IoD principal policy adviser for employment.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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