Business Helpsheets

Listed below are links to the business link online resource for businesses. All the links open in a new window.

Considering starting up?

• Starting a business from home
• Different approaches to starting your own business
• Research and develop your business ideas
• Prepare a business plan
• Common mistakes when starting up - and how to avoid them
• Buy a franchise

Finding and managing the money

• Choose the right finance when starting up
• Grants: the basics
• Innovation, research and development grants
• Grants and Support Directory - Search Tool

Business names & structures

• Choose the right name for your business
• Choose the right legal structure for your business

Buying a business

• Buy a franchise
• Buy an existing business
• Buying an existing business checklist

Choosing and setting up premises

• Choose the right premises for your business
• Use your home as a workplace
• Renting business premises
• Buying business premises

Keeping the workplace safe and your employees healthy

• Your responsibilities for health and safety
• Assess your environmental compliance - Interactive Tool

• An overview of IT and e-commerce *
• Setting up a basic IT system
• Choose and manage your IT supplier
• Computer software: the basics
• Open source software
• Benefits of email and the internet
• Planning for e-commerce
• Get the right website for your business
• File returns online
• Business start-up organiser

Importing and exporting

Protecting your business & ideas

• Protecting intellectual property
• Security and crime prevention
• Find out how to protect your ideas
• Non-disclosure agreements
• Copyright for your business
• Get patent protection for your business
• Use trade marks in your business
• Design right and registration
• Overview of the court services
• Court processes and attending court
• Business start-up organiser

Contracts and suppliers

Sales and marketing

• Sales & marketing: the basics
• Comply with the law when buying and selling goods and services
• Know your customers' needs
• Market research and market reports
• Write a marketing plan
• Develop an e-marketing plan
• Web 2.0: a guide for business
• Search engine optimisation
• Online networking
• Forecast and plan your sales
• Understand your competitors
• Price your product or service
• Choosing the right advertising media
• Tender for a contract