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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.
Employment law is notoriously complicated, but there are some basics which apply to all employees on health and safety, wages, contracts, dismissals and redundancies which it's helpful to know.
Whether or not it is in writing, as you soon as you start working for a business, you automatically have a contract. Your employer must provide you with written terms and conditions for your job and can't change these conditions without your agreement.
Whatever your individual terms and conditions of employment, they must at least comply with legislation covering minimum pay, working hours, annual leave and statutory sick pay for qualifying employees.
Amongst other rights, you have a right to a safe working environment.
Your employer cannot discriminate against you on the grounds of age, ethnic origin, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or religion. If you are pregnant, you have other rights during your pregnancy and return to work. Adoptive parents and new fathers also have significant rights to time off work.
You also have the right to belong to a trade union.
If you are made redundant your employer must follow procedures to ensure redundancies are carried out fairly and reasonably. Unfair or wrongful dismissals can be challenged in an employment tribunal. Your employer may, under exceptional circumstances, be able to dismiss you without notice for 'gross misconduct' but only by following correct procedures.
Your employer should have a written discipline and grievance policy along the lines of the Acas Code of Practice. If you feel you have been treated unfairly, you should set out your grievance in writing so your employer can deal with it appropriately.