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.

What is the legal number of hours employees can have between shifts?

What is the legal number of hours between shifts for workers? Peter Done explains more.

Legal advice

Legal advice

Providing transport for employees: should you organise their lift home?

Does an employer have to provide transport for employees from the workplace to home when such public transport is not available, late at night for instance?

Legal advice

GDPR: gain business advantage from the data regulation shake-up

GDPR has been a major shake-up for small businesses. Mark Overton of Softcat reveals how you can take advantage of the changes.

Legal advice

Illegal working: Why small businesses should question Home Office fines

Small businesses targeted by immigration enforcement face fines of up to £20,000 per illegal worker, but businesses have grounds to challenge the penalty, explains Anne Morris.

Legal advice

Small business legal mistakes – and how to avoid them

Karen Holden of A City Law Firm has represented hundreds of tech businesses and sees the same issues time and time again. Here's what to look out for and how to navigate the legal minefield.

Legal advice

Employment tribunal: How to navigate the process

For employers and particularly SMEs, there is still some cause for concern and a need for increased awareness around the risks when dismissing individuals, Andy Shettle argues.

Accounting

Late payment penalties for companies not adhering to 30 day payment terms

Reader Question: I am having trouble with companies not adhering to the 30-day payment terms. Some are not paying after three months even with constant phone calls. Is there anything I can do to make sure they pay on time? For example, penalties for late payment.

Legal advice

The ‘holistic approach’ to professional advice: Why small businesses need it

In this piece, Richard Oury argues for the importance of SME clients demanding that their professional advisers take a more holistic view of their business challenges.

Accounting

Late payment penalties for companies not adhering to 30 day payment terms

Reader Question: I am having trouble with companies not adhering to the 30-day payment terms. Some are not paying after three months even with constant phone calls. Is there anything I can do to make sure they pay on time? For example, penalties for late payment.

Legal advice

The ‘holistic approach’ to professional advice: Why small businesses need it

In this piece, Richard Oury argues for the importance of SME clients demanding that their professional advisers take a more holistic view of their business challenges.

Legal advice

What is IP and what should start-ups be doing to protect it?

Here, Jennifer Baile discusses why it is so important for owners of start-ups to carefully consider how a robust IP strategy will help to safeguard the commercial proposition and future growth of their business.

Legal advice

Legally registering your small business in the UK

This article explores the steps needed to register your small business in the UK, some of the pitfalls to be avoided and entities that can help do the heavy lifting for you.

Legal advice

Big or small, all businesses can be affected by the equal pay claim

In the wake of the equal pay dispute by Tesco employees, Russell Brown of Glaisyers Solicitors discusses how smaller employers can benefit from reviewing their workplace culture and practices.

Legal advice

GDPR: What financial services need to know

In this article, Bruce Penson, managing director at Pro Drive IT, highlights the fundamentals of GDPR in relation to financial services.

Business Loans

A guide to getting a small business loan

Everything you need to know on what small business loans are and what types of loan are available for your business.

Partner content

What are the funding options for hospitality businesses?

Hospitality businesses have faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. Find out what funding and support is available.

Employing & managing staff

The importance of vocational rehabilitation services for SMEs

In Aviva’s latest SME research*, 57 per cent of employers surveyed agreed that nowadays employees expect benefits to protect against loss of income or earnings. What do you offer your people?

Partner content

What are the benefits of business broadband?

Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade