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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.

Every business needs to be aware of its obligations under minimum wage and equal pay laws, as well as recent pensions auto-enrolment changes.

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.

You must comply with legal restrictions on employees' working hours and time off, or risk claims, enforcement action and even prosecution.

The right employment policies are an essential part of effective staff management. Make sure any policy is clear and well communicated to employees.

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.

While sick employees need to be treated fairly, you need to ensure that 'sickness' is not being used as cover for unauthorised absence.

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Most pregnant employees are entitled to maternity leave and maternity pay, while new fathers are entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay.

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

As well as undermining morale, illegal discrimination can lead to workplace grievances. Employee discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

Home, remote and lone workers are becoming increasingly commonplace. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

The right approach to consulting with and providing information to your employees can improve employee motivation and performance.

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Disciplinary and grievance issues can be a major burden to employers. Putting in place and following the right procedures is essential.

Following the right dismissal and redundancy procedures helps protect your business and minimise the risk of a legal dispute at tribunal.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Employment tribunal claims are a worrying prospect for any employer. A tribunal case is a no-win situation – even if the claim is unjustified.

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.

Best practice traffic calming measures for business premises

If you run a business that requires deliveries or has a very busy car park, then you must take the necessary precautions to look after the traffic entering your premises. Safety is very important and with a lot of vehicles in the vicinity, there are several best practices you can apply to your business premises to make sure both employees and customers are safe.

Speed ramps and bumps can be used to reduce the speed cars can enter your premises, signage is also very important as this will make cars aware of their surroundings. Other best practices include designated pedestrian zones and radar speed signs - these are used a lot around schools!

Safety is the most important thing to consider when running a business, so make sure you have the right precautions in place to avoid any accidents happening. Keep on reading for our guide on traffic calming measures.

Speed ramps and bumps

Speed ramps are a very effective method to slow traffic down. If you are based in an area where there’s a long straight road, cars can be tempted to drive at speed down it. By installing speed bumps in strategic parts of the road, you can quickly reduce the speed cars can travel, making the road a lot safer for your customers and the general public. Speed ramps are more affordable than you may think and aren’t too complicated to install. It’s a very standard practice to install speed ramps and you will have come across them a lot of times. You will often see them as you enter a car park, for example.

Radar speed signs

Radar speed signs are frequently used as a cost-effective way to remind drivers of the speed they are driving. They are often placed at the end of a fast stretch of road as a useful reminder to tell drivers to slow down when they enter a slower zone, such as the end of a motorway. The bright LED is useful for getting the driver's attention and you can add customisable messages, such as ‘School nearby’ or ‘Thank you!’.

Designated pedestrian zones

Designated pedestrian zones are areas specifically set aside for pedestrians, restricting or minimising vehicle access to improve safety, accessibility, and overall pedestrian experience. These zones are commonly found in busy shopping areas, schools and event venues, such as the O2. Using a designated pedestrian zone makes your business premises more welcoming, as visitors aren’t having to worry about cars approaching them. In this space, you can also offer additional amenities for visitors to enjoy, such as benches, table tennis tables, water fountains, bike racks etc.

Signage

Signage is the first thing a lot of companies will go for when implementing traffic calming measures. There are many different signs you can use to help manage traffic. Speed signs are very important, parking signs are helpful and so are warning signs of what the cars will be approaching (school nearby, car park ahead etc).

If you have a large premises or multiple car parks, then directional signage will make things clearer for your visitors. For example, signs to direct delivery drivers and signs to direct customers towards parking zones. When you next visit a busy car park, pay attention to the different signage they have. You will be surprised by the amount and variety of signs in use. There might be some which you have not thought about but may be useful for your type of business premises.

Small roundabouts

Small roundabouts are not as widely used, but they are still very effective. Small roundabouts are used to slow traffic down, maintain traffic flow and to help manage intersections within business premises. They have been proven to improve safety and require minimal maintenance. They are also more appealing than other traffic calming measures, such as traffic lights or the use of more signage.

Summary

We hope we have given you some useful insights into practices you can do to help keep your premises safe. Each method has its pros and cons, so make sure you do your research for your particular traffic, surroundings and requirements. For example, speed ramps and bumps are great around schools, as cars cannot drive as fast. As mentioned above, designated pedestrian zones are useful if you have a lot of customers walking around your premises, such as a shopping centre.

Copyright 2025. Featured post made possible by Jacob Falcon.

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