Contracts Articles

Expert articles and practical legal guides on contracts for uk businesses.

Invoice Discounting: UK Funding, Contracts And Legal Risks

Invoice Discounting: UK Funding, Contracts And Legal Risks

Cash flow is one of those business problems that can sneak up on you - especially if you’re doing well. You might have a strong order book and reliable customers, but if...

13 January 2026
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How To Register A Business In The UK: Step-By-Step Guide

How To Register A Business In The UK: Step-By-Step Guide

If you’re starting a new venture, one of the first big “adulting” moments is working out how to register a business properly in the UK. It can feel a bit daunting at...

13 January 2026
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Partnership Agreements In The UK: What To Include And Avoid Disputes

Partnership Agreements In The UK: What To Include And Avoid Disputes

Starting a business with a co-founder (or a few co-founders) can be exciting. You can split the workload, share costs, and build something bigger than you could alone. But a partnership can...

13 January 2026
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Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) In The UK: What Businesses Should Know

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) In The UK: What Businesses Should Know

If you’re about to share something valuable - your pricing model, product roadmap, customer list, or a new business idea - it’s normal to feel a bit exposed. In a fast-moving small...

13 January 2026
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Restrictive Covenants in Employment Contracts in the UK: What to Know

Restrictive Covenants in Employment Contracts in the UK: What to Know

If you’ve ever had a great employee leave and immediately start working for a competitor (or take your customers with them), you’ll know how quickly that can turn into a serious business...

13 January 2026
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Corporate Law Essentials For UK Small Businesses And Startups

Corporate Law Essentials For UK Small Businesses And Startups

When you’re building a small business or startup, it’s easy to focus on the exciting stuff first: your product, your customers, your marketing, your next hire. But at some point (usually sooner...

13 January 2026
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Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996): Key Rules for UK Employers

Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996): Key Rules for UK Employers

If you employ staff in the UK (or you’re about to hire your first team member), the Employment Rights Act 1996 (often shortened to ERA 1996) is one of the key laws...

13 January 2026
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UK Business Plan Template: Key Inclusions And Legal Considerations

UK Business Plan Template: Key Inclusions And Legal Considerations

When you’re starting (or growing) a small business, it’s easy to think a business plan is just for investors, banks, or “serious” startups. But in practice, a solid business plan is also...

13 January 2026
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IR35 Assessment: Check Contractor Status And Reduce Risk In The UK

IR35 Assessment: Check Contractor Status And Reduce Risk In The UK

If you hire contractors (especially for IT, marketing, design, construction, consultancy, or project work), IR35 can feel like one of those “we’ll deal with it later” issues. But the reality is: carrying...

12 January 2026
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Sick Leave In The UK: Employer Rights And Employee Entitlements

Sick Leave In The UK: Employer Rights And Employee Entitlements

Sick leave is one of those workplace issues that can feel straightforward right up until it isn’t. On a good week, it’s a quick message from an employee, a shift cover swap,...

12 January 2026
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Boilerplate Clauses in Contracts: Meaning, Examples and UK Risks

Boilerplate Clauses in Contracts: Meaning, Examples and UK Risks

When you’re running a small business, it’s normal to focus on the “commercial” parts of a contract first: price, payment terms, delivery dates, scope of work, and what happens if a customer...

12 January 2026
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EMI Share Options In The UK: A Practical Guide For Startups & SMEs

EMI Share Options In The UK: A Practical Guide For Startups & SMEs

If you’re building a UK startup or scaling an SME, you’ve probably had the same thought most founders eventually have: how do we attract and keep great people when cash is tight?...

12 January 2026
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How To Choose The Right Law Firm For Your UK Startup Or Small Business

How To Choose The Right Law Firm For Your UK Startup Or Small Business

Picking a law firm can feel like one of those “I’ll deal with it later” tasks - right up until you’re about to sign a big client contract, hire your first employee,...

12 January 2026
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Angel Investors: What They Look For And Startup Legal Documents

Angel Investors: What They Look For And Startup Legal Documents

Raising money from angel investors can be one of the fastest ways to turn a promising startup into a real, scalable business. But here’s the catch: most angel investors aren’t just backing...

12 January 2026
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What “Confidential” Means in Business Contracts and How to Protect It

What “Confidential” Means in Business Contracts and How to Protect It

“Confidential” is one of those words that shows up everywhere in business - proposals, emails, supplier agreements, employment paperwork, investor discussions and even WhatsApp messages. But in a contract, “confidential” isn’t just...

12 January 2026
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What Is Venture Capital Funding? UK Startup Investment Guide

What Is Venture Capital Funding? UK Startup Investment Guide

If you’re building a startup with big growth ambitions, you’ve probably heard founders talk about “raising VC” like it’s a rite of passage. But when you’re the one actually doing it, venture...

12 January 2026
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Crowdcube Fundraising for UK Startups: Key Legal Checks Before Launching

Crowdcube Fundraising for UK Startups: Key Legal Checks Before Launching

If you’re building a startup, fundraising can feel like the moment everything “gets real”. Equity crowdfunding (including campaigns run through Crowdcube) can be a powerful way to raise capital, validate your idea,...

12 January 2026
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Franchise Meaning: How Franchising Works And Key Legal Essentials

Franchise Meaning: How Franchising Works And Key Legal Essentials

If you’re exploring ways to grow your business (or launch one with a proven model), you’ve probably come across the term “franchise”. It’s often talked about as a faster route to expansion...

12 January 2026
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How To Write A Job Description In the UK

How To Write A Job Description In the UK

Hiring in a small business is exciting - and a little risky. When you’re making your first (or fifth) hire, you’re not just adding another pair of hands. You’re setting expectations, shaping...

12 January 2026
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Fixed-Term Employment Contracts In The UK: Rights, Renewals And Ending Them

Fixed-Term Employment Contracts In The UK: Rights, Renewals And Ending Them

If you run a small business, there are plenty of reasons you might want to hire someone without committing to a permanent role straight away. Maybe you’ve landed a big project, you’re...

12 January 2026
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Payment in Lieu of Notice (PILON) in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

Payment in Lieu of Notice (PILON) in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

If you run a small business, there will probably come a time when an employee needs to leave quickly - whether that’s due to performance, misconduct concerns, redundancy, or simply a breakdown...

12 January 2026
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UK Statutory Redundancy Pay Calculator: How to Calculate Redundancy Pay

UK Statutory Redundancy Pay Calculator: How to Calculate Redundancy Pay

Redundancy is one of those business decisions you never want to make in a rush. If you’re a small business owner, you’re usually balancing cashflow, team morale, customer expectations and compliance -...

11 January 2026
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How To Register A Company In The UK: Step-By-Step Guide

How To Register A Company In The UK: Step-By-Step Guide

When you’re building a startup or growing a small business, there’s a point where “just getting started” turns into “we need to formalise this properly”. That’s where registering a company in the...

11 January 2026
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Notice Periods in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

Notice Periods in the UK: What Employers Need to Know

If you employ staff (or you’re about to hire your first employee), the “notice period” is one of those terms that comes up constantly - in resignations, performance management, redundancies, and even...

11 January 2026
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