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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.

SMEs ditch plans for redundancies thanks to vaccine rollout

30 March 2021

One in five small businesses say they have changed their recruitment plans as a result of the successful vaccine rollout and now plan to take on more staff.

A poll conducted by YouGov on behalf of Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance has found that nearly a fifth (19%) of small firms are planning to recruit more staff for new roles following the UK's successful vaccination programme. A further fifth say they will be able to reverse planned redundancies.

More than 1,000 senior business decision-makers at UK small firms were asked how the vaccine rollout has impacted their business plans for the year ahead. Just over half of the small businesses surveyed (52%) said they are hopeful they will stay open as the nation continues to be vaccinated at speed.

The hospitality and leisure industry looks set to benefit the most from the vaccine rollout, with more than a quarter (27%) of those surveyed in the industry revealing that they're planning to reverse redundancies, while 23% of IT businesses, 22% of manufacturing firms, 21% of finance businesses and 20% of construction SMEs said that the vaccine programme had saved jobs.

"The UK is leading the way when it comes to vaccine rollout, and it's great to see the success of the programme is translating into business confidence for hundreds and thousands of SMEs," said Andy Dodd, managing director at Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance.

"Many employees up and down the country across a range of industries including hospitality and leisure, will be grateful for greater job security. The news that many businesses are now beginning to think about hiring new recruits is also a huge positive for the wider economy."

Businesses in the West Midlands are most confident about their future, with 57% saying they're hopeful of staying afloat as a result of the vaccine rollout. Nearly a quarter (24%) of London-based SMEs are planning to reverse redundancy decisions off the back of the vaccine rollout and 29% are expanding their recruitment plans.

The survey also found that 30% of small business leaders said that their firm would not have survived without government support. Almost a quarter (23%) said they had let people go as a result of the pandemic and 27% said they still require additional government support to stay afloat.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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