Starting a business in the UK: essential checklist – Whether you’re launching a startup or growing a side hustle, there are key legal, operational, and strategic steps to consider. This guide brings together trusted resources to help you build a compliant, resilient, and forward-thinking business from day one.
- Check if you need to provide a workplace pension and set-up a pension scheme.
- For health and safety, either in the workplace or at home HSE: Information about health and safety at work
- For free and impartial information on workplace relations and employment law, Acas provides useful support.
- To build a diverse and inclusive business, the Business in the Community toolkit on diversity and inclusion strategy will provide useful guidance.
- If you have an idea, product or service that is unique, consider intellectual property protection. Use the Intellectual Property Office tool Intellectual Property Office – IP Health Check (ipo.gov.uk) to check what you need to do
- Consider whether you need to run the business from separate premises. A few options include using commercial property agents in your preferred locations with an outline of your requirements, us of online property sites such as Zoopla, and Right Move or hire a chartered surveyor to search for you. For more information visit www.rics.org
- Think about your cyber security and how to protect your business. Great guidance is available from the National Cyber Security Centre NCSC.GOV.UK
- Could your product or service be supplied overseas? Investigate exporting opportunities from the moment you start your business. Check how to import or export goods – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
