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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.

Facebook unveils new business-friendly features

11 September 2015

Facebook unveils new business-friendly featuresFacebook has announced a number of new features for businesses to help them improvement their engagement with consumers.

Businesses can now add call-to-action buttons and new sections to their Facebook Pages to allow them to connect with customers more directly. The features are designed to improve the experience for customers that engage with businesses on Facebook via their mobile phones.

Benji Shomair, director of global partnerships at Facebook, said the new tools will encourage "tighter communication between consumers and businesses".

Facebook has announced new features "to make it easier for the more than 45 million active businesses on Facebook to highlight important information and reach their goals". It said: " If you're a plumbing company, a flower shop, a non-profit or a brand, your Page should house the information people are looking for, help you communicate with your customers and support your unique goals."

The advances include new and more prominent call-to-action buttons making it easier for consumers to shop or book appointments. Facebook is also testing several new call-to-action buttons on mobile, including Call Now, Send Message and Contact Us. Over time, it says, it will add additional calls to action to further help businesses drive achieve their goals.

Facebook is also adding new sections to its Pages. A new Shop section helps retail businesses bring their products to the forefront of their Page, while a Services section enables professional services businesses to showcase their offerings.

Facebook will also be highlighting the most responsive businesses by awarding a shiny green badge to those firms that respond to 90% of messages within five minutes. "Our goal is to provide consumers with a signal that a page is responsive," said Shomair.

The number of SMEs with a Facebook page is now 45 million, up from 40 million in April. "A million new businesses are on Facebook every month," Shomair said. In the UK, 79% of people on Facebook are connected to a small business.

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