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.

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

Employing & managing staff

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

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

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

Legal advice

Can I dismiss an employee for sending threatening text?

Two members of staff had an argument. One left the premises and I asked her not to return. She sent me a text threatening me with 'people to sort me out'. Can I dismiss her?

Finding and selling to customers

How Amazon Ads is supporting entrepreneurs

Digital ad campaigns aren't just for big businesses. Here's why you should be considering it...

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.

Financing

6 types of business funding for UK tech companies

Here we explore six types of business funding that can help your UK tech company expand and reach its goals.

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.