Category

Legal advice

The small business legal advice section provides in-depth guides and features on tax, company and employment law for UK SMEs and sole traders.

Which job title is right for you?

Your job title should never be based on your own view, and how comfortable you feel being referred to by a certain position

Legal advice

Employing & managing staff

Five areas of UK employment law businesses must be aware of

Before taking on any employees, it’s important to grasp the basics of employment law. In this piece, we look at what you need to know

Legal advice

10 employment law changes that you should know about

Kate Palka, employment and commercial solicitor from The Legal Director, talks us through current and future employment law changes

Legal advice

Using an NDA in your small business

NDAs or non-disclosure agreements are becoming increasingly common. When should you use them? And are they even enforceable?

Legal advice

What are the new rules on calculating holiday pay for seasonal workers?

The Harpur Trust v Brazel case has challenged the way that seasonal and part-year worker holiday pay is calculated. What should you do now?

Legal advice

What is the UKCA mark and how does it affect my small business?

We explain the new UKCA mark which has replaced the CE mark for products sold on the market in Great Britain

Legal advice

Plastic Packaging Tax – what does it mean for my small business?

From April 2022, businesses will be liable to pay Plastic Packaging Tax. We explore what it is and whether it will affect you

Legal advice

How to obtain a UK patent – a 10-point checklist

Obtaining a patent can be time-consuming and expensive. But a patent can prevent others from using your invention, generate licensing income, encourage investment and even lower your tax bill

Legal advice

Plastic Packaging Tax – what does it mean for my small business?

From April 2022, businesses will be liable to pay Plastic Packaging Tax. We explore what it is and whether it will affect you

Legal advice

How to obtain a UK patent – a 10-point checklist

Obtaining a patent can be time-consuming and expensive. But a patent can prevent others from using your invention, generate licensing income, encourage investment and even lower your tax bill

Legal advice

Can my employer stop me from setting up a competing business?

What you can and can’t do when setting up in competition against your former employment is often in the fine print of your contract, warns Harper James Solicitors

Legal advice

GDPR three years on: make sure your small business is compliant

Many small businesses think if they just ignore the EU’s GDPR regulations, they will just go away. Lawyer Chris Cook warns SMEs they face crippling fines if they do nothing

Legal advice

How to avoid unfair dismissal claims

Simon Robinson, managing partner of RobinsonRalph, gives an overview of the basics to help you avoid paying any unnecessary compensation and explains the basis for claims of unfair dismissal.

Legal advice

Sick leave – Making changes to company sickness policy

Is it possible to make changes to our company sickness policy? Peter Done of HR consultancy Peninsula answers the question

Partner content

5 things every small business owner needs to know before starting

HSBC - Advertising feature

Partner content

What is professional indemnity insurance?

Professional indemnity insurance provides cover if somebody sues your business and they allege that your advice caused financial loss or damaged their brand. It’s not just for accountants and lawyers but for anyone offering a personal service, even web designers

Partner content

Benefits of switching to the right business bank account

We've teamed up with the Current Account Switch Service to explain the benefits of switching your business bank account.

Partner content

Business Companion: a reliable voice in the misinformation age

Business Companion is a one-stop-shop for accurate and up-to-date legal guidance, whatever sector you’re in — and it’s all completely free