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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.
Marketing and selling directly to customers is not always the most effective way to grow a business. Building relationships with customers can take a long time and lack of capital can slow your growth.
Many businesses sell to distributors or work with agents who sell on their behalf. Another alternative may be to set up a joint venture or to franchise your business, allowing others to operate under your brand name. Whichever route you choose, you need to understand what is involved and make sure you have a clear agreement detailing how the arrangement will work.
Distributors buy your products from you and then sell them on at a profit. Distributors such as wholesalers and retailers are often used as a route to market for lower value products that are relatively easy to sell.
The distribution agreement should cover all the key elements of your relationship. These will include the distributor's territory and whether they have exclusivity, whether they can sell competing products, as well as practical issues such as delivery and payment arrangements.
Sales agents negotiate sales on your behalf, usually for a commission. Agents are often preferable if your products are high value, complex or bespoke. Key issues in the agency agreement will include what authority the agent has to act on your behalf and what rate of commission will be paid to the agent.
Distributorships and agency agreements involve complex legal and commercial issues. For example, you need to consider what rights each party has to use intellectual property (eg trade marks) and the implications this could have.
Other key areas that you'll need to consider and agree on is how the relationship will come to an end and how to make sure you are properly protected. For example, termination arrangements for self-employed agents may need special attention to avoid unexpected liabilities.
Complex rules on price competition also need to be taken into account. For example, requiring your distributors to charge a set price is likely to constitute illegal price fixing.
Legal advice will help you draw up an agreement that clearly sets out each side's rights and responsibilities and avoids any of the legal pitfalls.