Having started my own business I am only to aware how important having a good business solicitor is. From the outset every business has responsibilities to its employees as well as the general public they are providing to. This being said from the outset it is worth looking at company policy to ensure you have made clear what your company is about and what you are offering your customers.
Business Solicitors can talk you through the many legal aspects of your business and from the outset ensure that you are in a responsible position to move forward with your trade.
For matters pertaining to VAT, national insurance, tax and business insurance, its wise to speak to a solicitor so that you know that you are covered and do not receive any nasty surprises should issues arise down the line. As with any product or service make sure that you shop around for the service that fits you. Its important that the relationship you have with your solicitor is a good one and finding a solicitor that you get on with makes the process a lot easier.
Health and Safety is something that businesses come under fire for, issues that may affect your business such as Accident claims. Solicitors will help Advise and manage your Health & Safety requirements, make sure that you are compliant with your obligations, support you with HSE/Local authority investigations, help with improvement and prohibition notices, and ensure that you have adequate defense in the unfortunate case of prosecutions.
Have you made sure that planning / building regulations regarding your premises satisfy those asked for by the government. If there are issues with your building speaking to a solicitor is a great way of getting you in contact with the people that can help you resolve the issues and ensure that any lease or property dispute is quickly resolved.
You may be required to obtain a license before you can start trading. This is dependent on the product you are selling or the services you are providing. Speaking to a solicitor in the early stages of a business can help ensure that the correct regulatory bodies are dealt with and subscribed to.
Intellectual Property can be daunting to new designers, inventors and fledgling businesses. Ensuring that your intellectual property remains yours is something that many businesses find extremely worrying. A good solicitor will ensure that you remain the holder of any intellectual property and that any one trying to undermine your position will find it untenable.
Every company needs to have stationery that reflects the professionalism of the company, but even in this case you need to think carefully about how you design your letterheads and stationery so that you have all of the legal information that is required of you laid out clearly.
Business solicitors can ensure that the legal side of your business is up together and that any issues including Property disputes, Health and safety, Intellectual property etc are all well understood and dealt with in the correct manner.