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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.

Time is running out for COVID-19 grant schemes

4 August 2020

The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that local economies risk missing out on more than £1 billion in emergency COVID-19 funding if the government goes ahead with plans to close three grant schemes this month.

The government has written to councils to say it will shut three funding schemes - the Small Business Grants Fund, the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Fund and the Discretionary Grants Fund - on 28th August 2020. Any unclaimed funds will have to be returned to the government.

The schemes have seen councils provide billions in grants to businesses struggling with the economic shock caused by the pandemic. But the Local Government Association (LGA) has estimated that there could be an underspend of £1.37 billion if the schemes close this month.

The LGA is urging the government to keep the Discretionary Grants Fund scheme open so councils can try and ensure as many businesses benefit as possible and redistribute any unspent resources from the other two schemes back to councils to reinvest in supporting businesses and local economies.

Councils have distributed almost £11 billion to almost 880,000 eligible small businesses through the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund since March. Many set up dedicated teams and redeployed staff so they could process applications as quickly as possible.

Other businesses which fell outside the scope of these original schemes - such as bed and breakfasts, market traders and charities - have also been given cash grants by councils as part of the Discretionary Grants Fund, introduced in May.

The LGA said the government deadline to shut this discretionary scheme will not allow enough time for the remaining grant to be paid out.

Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the LGA's Resources Board, said: "It was a huge task to set up these schemes from scratch and the funding has been a lifeline to struggling businesses worried about the future. Shutting the discretionary scheme would be a mistake by the government at this time. Councils need more time and flexibility to ensure as many businesses can benefit from this funding.

"The government also needs to commit to redistributing any unspent resources from the original schemes, including any clawed back, to councils to be spent on local efforts to help further support businesses and reboot local economies."

Tej Parikh, chief economist at the Institute of Directors (IoD), said: "For many small businesses, the fight is far from over. It would be deeply disappointing if this support was withdrawn before time … With reopening and adjustment costs ahead, money will be tight for small businesses. Councils have been working to get the money to the front line and should be given the resources to kickstart local business recoveries across the country."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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