Situation
Starting up
Choose a structure, register with the right places, and understand your first obligations. Everything you need to get trading legally in the UK.
What are you trying to do?
Decide your business structure
Start here if you haven't registered yet
Register and get approved to trade
What you must do before your first sale
Register for tax and VAT
Everyone who trades; VAT once you near the threshold
Hire your first employee
Only if you're taking on staff
Get the right insurance
Most businesses need at least one policy
Sort data protection
If you handle any personal data
Check what licences you need
Some trades and premises can't open without one
Where most people start
All journeysChoose a business model
Understand the main business models and choose the right one for your skills, market, and financial situation.
Get approved to trade
Register your business with HMRC and, for a company, Companies House. Then pay the data protection fee, check which licences your activities need, and arrange the insurance the law requires.
Understanding VAT from scratch
A complete introduction to VAT for first-time registrants. Takes you from zero knowledge to confident VAT compliance, covering when to register, how to charge VAT, reclaiming VAT on purchases, and submitting your returns.
Take on your first employee
Taking on your first employee makes you an employer, with duties to HMRC, an insurer, the Home Office, The Pensions Regulator and the Health and Safety Executive. Most must be in place before they start: status, registration, insurance, right to work, written terms, pension, payroll and risk assessment.
Choosing the right business insurance
Start with the insurance the law requires: if you employ anyone, you must have employers' liability insurance with at least £5 million cover, and business vehicles need motor insurance. Then add cover your contracts demand, and finally insure against the risks your business actually faces.
Data protection for businesses
UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply to any business that uses information about living people, such as customers or staff. You need a lawful basis for each use, must tell people how you use their data and keep it secure, and most businesses must pay a yearly fee to the Information Commission (formerly the ICO).
For your sector
Pick your sector to see the routes built for it.