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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 aims to level playing field for small businesses

7 December 2021

The UK government has announced a number of initiatives aimed at helping small businesses to bid for and win more government contracts.

The government wants to give smaller businesses better access to the £50 billion worth of public contracts - which can include anything from supplying hospital equipment to providing public sector pensions - and which are tendered each year.

The Selling To Government Guide provides SMEs with essential information on how to find government contract opportunities and how to bid for and win them. It includes tips on how small firms can make sure they are showcasing their strengths during the bidding process. The guide will be backed up by online webinar sessions for small businesses.

The most recent government figures show that small firms have won more than £15 billion in government contracts this year. Cabinet Office minister Lord Agnew said: "This guide … will help small businesses navigate what can be a complex world of public procurement."

The guide also offers advice on how small firms can get work through supply chains by working with larger companies to help deliver services such as long-running IT or catering projects. The government considers social value when choosing suppliers which gives smaller enterprises the chance to highlight the work they do in their communities and could offer them a better chance of winning government contracts.

The government is bringing in "sweeping procurement rules changes", according to Lord Agnew, to make it easier for SMEs to win government work. The measures will remove barriers for smaller suppliers by getting rid of "unnecessarily complicated regulations".

Lord Agnew said: "We are simplifying the bidding process to make it easier for SMEs to secure contracts by creating one single central platform which suppliers have to register on, so they only have to submit their data once to qualify for any public sector procurement."

Small Business minister Paul Scully said: "The government is leading the way, supporting firms with this new handbook as well as ground-breaking schemes like Help to Grow: Digital which will help businesses to level up with discounted software and free tech support."

Help to Grow: Digital will provide business leaders with the advice and funding they need to embrace digital technology and help their business grow through discounted software and free advice and support, while Help to Grow: Management offers management and leadership training. Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, businesses receive 50 hours of management training across 12 weeks delivered by participating business schools.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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