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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.

Late payers to lose out on government contracts

3 September 2019

New prompt payment rules have been introduced by the government, excluding big businesses with poor payment practices from lucrative public sector contracts.

Organisations that want to do business with government departments will have to pay 95% of all supply chain invoices within 60 days, under new rules in the Prompt Payment Code introduced on 1 September 2019.

It means that any organisation bidding for a central government contract worth in excess of £5m a year will have to demonstrate it has an effective payment system. Suppliers that do not comply could be prevented from winning government contracts.

The move has been praised by business groups. "We welcome the new administration taking ownership of the late payment crisis with this crucial step, sending a message that late payments will not be tolerated within government contracts," said Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

"We have worked very hard with the Cabinet Office to get to this moment. This will prevent another Carillion, where payment terms were lengthened as the company fell into difficulty, hoarded taxpayers' money and tried to improve its cash flow off the back of its small suppliers.

"This move sends a message to the wider business community that the government is taking this seriously and those found in breach of the Prompt Payment Code from 1 September will be excluded from bidding for lucrative contracts."

Cherry added: "Measures to open up public procurement will give taxpayers and our public services access to the innovation and value small firms bring, as well as helping our economy. This is a challenge, and there is, of course, more work to do, but [this] announcement is an important step."

The FSB has pledged to continue working with the government to "drive out late payments" in line with its Fair Pay Fair Play campaign . The Prompt Payment Code is administered by the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) on behalf of the department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy .

Written by Rachel Miller.

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