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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.

Government scheme to give SMEs discounts on software

25 January 2022

The Help to Grow: Digital scheme has opened for applications, providing small businesses with discounts of up to £5,000 on approved software as well as advice on digital skills.

The new Help to Grow: Digital scheme offers eligible small businesses discounts of up to £5,000 off the retail price of approved digital accounting and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software from leading technology suppliers.

According to data from the Enterprise Research Centre, businesses that use CRM systems see on average an 18% boost to their productivity and those that adopt digital accounting software see a 12% increase in sales over three years.

The approved suppliers in the first wave of Help to Grow: Digital are:

Eligible businesses will receive one financial discount towards the purchase of one approved software product up to a maximum of £5,000 (not including VAT) in either CRM and digital accounting. The government is also looking to bring on further products under the scheme, including ecommerce software to help firms maximise their sales online.

To be eligible, small firms must have between five and 249 employees and the business must be purchasing the approved software for the first time. Eligible firms must have a registered office in the UK and be registered at Companies House. They must have been actively trading for over 12 months and have an incorporation date of, at minimum, 365 days prior to the date of application.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak said: "When I announced this at Budget I said we wanted to help businesses become more innovative, more competitive and more profitable and I am excited this programme allows them do that. Help to Grow: Digital will help them to grow and flourish by adopting new technologies that are proven to improve processes and boost productivity, levelling up their digital technology and skills."

The scheme has been welcomed by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). National chair Mike Cherry said: "We're encouraging as many eligible small firms to apply and make the most of this new scheme. Small businesses are often keen to embrace new technologies, but we know that one in four lack confidence in their own basic digital skills … Our own research has shown that just 40% of small business owners have used applications like cloud services and online data storage or back-up. It's crucial that practical changes like this scheme are put in place to help small firms adopt digital technologies, making improvements to their own business and driving growth."

Under the scheme, businesses can also access practical, specialised support and advice on how to choose the right digital technologies to boost their growth and productivity through a new online platform.

Welcoming the scheme, Paul Struthers, UK&I managing director of Sage, expressed his hopes that Help to Grow: Digital will be expanded to reach more businesses. "As the scheme rolls out over the next three years, we encourage the government to allow more flexibility in the number of products available, and widen the scope to allow sole traders and the smallest of businesses to benefit from digitisation too."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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