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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.

Small businesses applaud Labour’s good intentions, but the policies are doomed

5 July 2024

Labour’s election victory: Small businesses applaud Labour’s good intentions, but the policies are doomed.

Responding to the election result, Rory MccGwire, founder of the UK’s largest small business advice website Start Up Donut, said:

"After 14 years in which the government soundbites about supporting small businesses were rarely matched by actual support for those businesses, I think the Labour victory is seen as a chance for real change and improvement.

"But how will the incoming government’s promised policy changes affect the 99 per cent of UK businesses classed as ‘micro’ or ‘small’?

"In reality, these policies will have remarkably little impact. Why? Because we have seen these plans and promises many times before, in one guise or another. And yet, successive governments have failed to make a positive impact on the lives of the UK's smallest businesses.

"Let’s look at the three main new policies aimed at helping small businesses.

"Firstly, business rates. These have been discussed endlessly. I lost count of the number of consultations and reviews long ago. Pointing out the current flaws and problems is easy, but achieving a satisfactory solution is another matter entirely.

"Secondly, the national investment bank. There's no shortage of banks wanting to lend to small businesses. The real problem is that lending to small businesses is high risk. The well-known solution is for the government to underwrite the lending with some kind of guarantee (such as the Loan Guarantee Scheme and its successor schemes) and for the government to offer an ‘enterprise allowance’ grant to anyone brave enough to try starting a new business.

"Thirdly, the promise of more public sector work being awarded to small businesses has been made endlessly and such schemes have a lousy track record. The reality is that submitting a tender is a time-consuming and costly process for small businesses - with no guarantee of success. And often, those that are successful end up making a loss anyway because they have to undercut others to win the contract.

"The fact is that politicians and policymakers simply do not understand what is involved in running a small business. There are so many ways that life could be made easier.

"So, we have another party in power and another set of changes. What most small business owners want is for politicians to stop moving the goalposts so that they can get on with employing people and running their businesses."

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