Starting up

Achieving nutrient neutrality

Step-by-step guide to achieving nutrient neutrality for development in affected catchments. Learn how to calculate your nutrient budget, identify mitigation options, and prepare your planning application.

Become a sole trader

Set up as a sole trader and understand your tax obligations

Becoming a livestock keeper: complete compliance guide

Comprehensive guide to livestock keeping compliance - from getting a CPH number to meeting welfare requirements. Covers cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats.

Becoming a sheep or goat keeper: end-to-end compliance

New to keeping sheep or goats? This journey walks you through the five things every keeper in England must do: register your land, get your flock or herd mark, tag your animals, set up a holding register, and learn the movement rules.

Buy an existing business

Navigate the business acquisition process from finding opportunities to completing the purchase and your first 90 days as owner

Choose the right business model

Decide between product, service, and subscription models based on your skills, capital, and goals

Do I need an environmental permit?

Quick assessment of whether your business activities require an environmental permit from the Environment Agency or local council.

Environmental compliance for new businesses

A complete introduction to environmental obligations for new business owners. Learn whether you need an environmental permit, how to handle waste legally, how to prevent pollution, and what recycling rules apply to you. No prior knowledge required.

Fire safety for new business premises

Complete introduction to fire safety law and compliance for new business premises. Learn who is responsible, how to conduct a fire risk assessment, and what measures you must implement.

Form a business partnership

Set up and run a business partnership - general partnership, limited partnership, or LLP

Get FCA authorised: from perimeter check to Connect submission

A six-phase learning path for first-time applicants. Walks you from establishing whether you need authorisation, through choosing your route, building governance foundations, self-assessing the FCA's five threshold conditions, submitting through Connect, and handling case-officer scrutiny during the determination period.

Getting approved to trade: complete pre-trading journey

A comprehensive learning journey for first-time business owners: understand what approvals you need, complete mandatory registrations, check for activity-specific licences, navigate local authority requirements, and plan your timeline to trading day.

Getting started with CIS

A comprehensive learning path for anyone new to the Construction Industry Scheme. Understand how CIS works, decide whether you're a contractor or subcontractor (or both), and learn your registration requirements and ongoing obligations. Covers deductions, monthly returns, and claiming back overpaid tax.

Health and safety for new employers

A comprehensive learning path to help first-time employers understand and meet their health and safety duties. Takes you from understanding the law to putting compliance systems in place, with practical timelines for your first week, month, and beyond.

Health and safety management for new employers

A learning path introducing new employers to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR). Understand your legal duties for risk assessment, appointing competent help, and establishing emergency procedures - the foundations of workplace health and safety management.

Hire your first employee

Step-by-step journey to become a compliant employer. Covers PAYE registration, insurance, right to work checks, contracts, and pensions - everything before your first employee's first day.

Hiring your first employee after April 2026

Updated hiring journey incorporating Employment Rights Act 2025 day-one rights and contract requirements. Covers employment contracts, SSP, family leave, and compliance essentials for new employers.

Insuring your new business

A step-by-step learning journey for new business owners: understand which insurance is legally required, what additional cover you need, how to compare and buy policies, and how to manage renewals.

Name your business: check, register, and protect

Quick guide to checking name availability, understanding naming rules, and protecting your brand

Open a shop

Start a retail business and open your first shop

Planning compliance quick check

Quick check: Do you need planning permission for your development? Answer a few questions to find out whether you need to apply, or whether permitted development rights apply.

Plan your business from idea to launch

A step-by-step planning journey from idea validation through business plan writing to launch preparation

Pre-trading approvals quick check

Quick check for experienced business owners verifying they have all required registrations, licences, and approvals before starting to trade.

Registering a care service in Scotland

End-to-end learning path for starting a regulated care service in Scotland. Covers the Care Inspectorate, service types, registration, Health and Social Care Standards, SSSC workforce registration, PVG checks, and inspection preparation.

Setting up a charity in Scotland

End-to-end learning path for setting up a charity in Scotland: understanding OSCR regulation, the charity test, registration, trustee duties, annual reporting and accounts, and ongoing compliance obligations.

Set up a charity

Establish a registered charity in England and Wales - from charitable purposes to ongoing compliance

Set up a community interest company (CIC)

Form a CIC for social enterprise purposes with asset lock protection, dividend caps, and ongoing compliance requirements

Set up a limited company

Register a limited company and understand your director duties

Small site planning fast track

Quick checklist for SME developers submitting minor residential applications (1-9 dwellings). Skip the explanation - get straight to what you need to do.

SME housebuilder planning guide

Comprehensive planning guidance for small and medium housebuilders. Learn how to navigate the planning system efficiently, take advantage of small site easements, and manage S106 and environmental requirements proportionately.

Start a brewery or distillery

Launch a brewery, distillery, winery, or cidery in the UK

Start a business

Step-by-step guidance to help you start your business

Start a childcare business

Launch a childcare business with Ofsted registration, safeguarding, and EYFS compliance

Start a construction business

Set up and register a construction, building, or trades business

Start a creative business

Launch a creative business - freelance designer, photographer, writer, videographer, production company, or studio

Start a financial services business

Launch an FCA-regulated financial services business with proper authorisation

Start a fintech business

Launch a financial technology business requiring FCA authorisation

Start a food business for the first time

Everything you need to do before opening a food business. Covers registration, premises, HACCP, training, allergens, labelling, and preparing for your first inspection.

Start a food business in Wales

Start a food manufacturing business

Set up a food or drink production and manufacturing business

Start a healthcare business

Launch a healthcare or social care business with CQC registration

Start a hospitality business: licences, food safety, and compliance

End-to-end learning path for opening a hospitality business. Covers premises licences, food business registration, HACCP, fire safety, employer obligations, tipping law, and music licensing. Signposts to specialist guides for accommodation, events, and gaming.

Start a law firm in England and Wales

End-to-end learning path for setting up a law firm: choosing entity type, SRA authorisation, appointing COLP and COFA, professional indemnity insurance, client account setup, AML registration, complaints procedure, and price transparency.

Start a lettings agency

Compliance requirements for starting a property letting business in the UK

Start a manufacturing business

Launch a manufacturing business with the right permits and compliance

Start an agriculture business

Set up and register a farming or agricultural business - from choosing your structure to registering land and getting support

Start a private security business

End-to-end learning path for starting a private security company. Covers SIA regulation, personal and business licensing, approved contractor status, insurance, recruiting licensed staff, training programme setup, and compliance systems for winning contracts.

Start a renewable energy business

Launch a renewable energy generation business (solar, wind, hydrogen, battery storage)

Start a restaurant

Open a restaurant, cafe, or food business

Start a retail business

Launch a retail business with the right consumer protection compliance

Start a retail business - compliance essentials

A comprehensive compliance onboarding journey for new retailers. Covers consumer rights, pricing law, age-restricted sales, product safety, data protection, accessibility duties, and specialist licences. Designed for first-time retail business owners who need to understand their legal obligations before opening.

Start a social care provider business

End-to-end learning path for starting a social care business. Covers which regulator applies, CQC registration, registered manager requirements, workforce qualifications (Care Certificate, SSSC, Social Care Wales), staffing levels, insurance, Care Act duties, and devolved nations.

Start a tech business

Launch a software, digital services, or technology startup

Start a transport and logistics business

Launch a transport or haulage business with the right operator licence

Starting a business in Northern Ireland

Complete guide to NI-specific requirements when starting a business. Covers devolved differences in employment law, business rates, planning, health and safety, and available support programmes.

Starting a regulated business in Northern Ireland

A guided learning path for businesses in Northern Ireland that operate in regulated sectors. Covers the three key NI-specific regulators — HSENI, RQIA, and UREGNI — and the cross-cutting obligations that apply alongside them.

Starting a social care provider business

Step-by-step guide to starting a social care business — from choosing your regulator through workforce requirements to financial planning.

Starting a waste business

Complete compliance guide for waste transfer stations, treatment facilities, skip hire, and recycling centres. Covers environmental permits, waste carrier registration, and ongoing obligations.

Starting farming: complete compliance journey

New farmers: everything you need to register, comply, and access funding - from CPH numbers to environmental schemes. Follow this step-by-step journey from day one.

Start offering consumer credit to customers

End-to-end learning path for businesses new to consumer credit. Covers understanding FCA regulation, obtaining authorisation, setting up pre-contract disclosures and affordability assessments, complying with advertising rules, and verifying ongoing compliance under the Consumer Duty.

Start selling online legally

Everything you need to know before launching an online shop. Covers distance selling regulations, pre-contract information, cancellation rights, refund obligations, website compliance, consumer rights for goods and digital content, and enforcement.

Understanding business rates

How business rates work, what relief you can claim, and how to challenge your rateable value. Covers calculation, relief schemes, appeals, and revaluation across all UK nations.

Understanding consumer rights law for traders

Learn your legal obligations when selling goods, services, or digital content to consumers. Covers the Consumer Rights Act 2015 quality standards, tiered remedies, distance selling rules, unfair contract terms, and enforcement penalties.

Understanding UK GDPR from scratch

A complete introduction to UK data protection law for businesses. Learn the seven principles, six lawful bases, individual rights, ICO registration requirements, and what happens if you get it wrong. No prior knowledge required.

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.

Validate your business idea before you invest

Research, test, and validate your business idea before committing significant time or money

Your business plan was rejected: what to do next

What to do when a lender, investor, or grant body rejects your business plan