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

Lawyer vs Solicitor vs Barrister: What’s the Difference in the UK?
If you’re running a small business, “legal help” can feel like one big bucket. You might hear people say “ask your lawyer”, “speak to a solicitor”, or “we need a barrister” -...

Sole Trader Legal Requirements In The UK: Staying Compliant
Starting as a sole trader is one of the quickest ways to get your business up and running in the UK. There’s less admin than setting up a limited company, you can...

Director Selling Shares To Another Director: Key UK Legal Steps And Documents
If you run a UK company with more than one director, it’s pretty common for the ownership to shift over time. One director might want to exit, reduce their stake, or tidy...

Capacity To Contract In UK Contract Law: Key Rules For Businesses
If you run a small business, you’re probably signing contracts more often than you realise - onboarding clients, appointing suppliers, hiring staff, partnering with freelancers, or taking on new premises. Most of...

Disadvantages Of A Franchise: Legal Risks And Costs For UK Business Owners
Buying a franchise can feel like the “safer” route into business ownership. You’re stepping into an established brand, a tested system and (usually) ongoing support. But the main disadvantages of a franchise...

Is A Contract Legally Binding In The UK? Key Legal Requirements
If you’re running a small business or startup, you’re probably signing (or sending) agreements more often than you think - onboarding customers, hiring contractors, ordering stock, partnering with suppliers, or agreeing to...
Loan Note Meaning: What Loan Notes Are And How They Work
If you’re raising money for your startup or SME, you’ll quickly run into a lot of funding jargon. One term that often pops up (especially in early-stage deals) is the “loan note”....

How To Start A Carpenter Business In The UK: Legal Steps And Compliance
Starting a carpenter business can be a brilliant move if you’ve got strong trade skills and you’re ready to build something of your own (no pun intended). But once you step into...

Minority Shareholders: Rights And Protections In The UK
If you run a UK SME, it’s common to bring in co-founders, early investors, family members, or key employees as shareholders. That’s often a smart way to fund growth and keep good...

What Makes A Contract Valid? Essential Elements Every Business Owner Should Know
If you run a small business, contracts are part of your everyday life - from onboarding customers and suppliers to hiring staff and partnering with other founders. But here’s the tricky part:...

UK Sublease Agreement Template: Key Clauses And Pitfalls For Businesses
If you’ve got commercial premises you’re not fully using, subletting can feel like a smart, practical way to reduce overheads and keep your space working for the business. But before you download...

Types Of Construction Contracts In The UK: A Practical Guide
If you run a small construction business, take on subcontract work, or manage building projects for clients, your contract is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It sets expectations, controls cashflow, allocates...

Best Endeavours: Meaning, Examples, And Use In UK Contracts
If you run a small business, you’ve probably seen (or been asked to accept) a clause saying you must use “best endeavours” to do something. It sounds sensible - who wouldn’t try...

Debt Facility Explained: How It Works And What Businesses Should Watch For
If you’re running a growing business, it’s normal to hit a point where cash flow (not ambition) becomes the limiting factor. Maybe you need to buy stock ahead of a busy season,...

Can I Loan My Business Money? Director Loans And Tax Risks In The UK
If you run a small limited company, there’s a good chance you’ll hit a point where cash flow feels tight (even if the business is doing well on paper). Maybe you’re waiting...

How To Write A Legally Compliant Job Advert In The UK
Hiring can be one of the biggest “levelling up” moments for a small business - and one of the easiest places to accidentally create legal risk. A well-written job advert doesn’t just...

Gifting Shares In The UK: How It Works For SMEs And Startups
If you run a UK limited company, there’ll often come a point where you want to bring someone into the cap table without doing a full investment round. Maybe you want to...

Can Directors Sell Company Assets Without Shareholder Approval?
If you run a limited company, there will likely come a time when you need to sell something valuable - a vehicle, specialist equipment, intellectual property, a customer list, a lease, or...

Business Purchase Finance: Legal Essentials In The UK
Buying a business can be one of the fastest ways to grow - you’re acquiring customers, staff, assets, systems, and (hopefully) steady revenue in one move. But if you’re using business purchase...

Vested Stock Options: Key UK Rules for Startups and SMEs
If you’re building a UK startup or scaling an SME, you’ve probably heard that “equity incentives” can help you hire, retain and motivate great people when cash is tight. But once you...

How To Buy An Existing Business In the UK: Legal Checklist
Buying an existing business can be one of the fastest ways to grow - you’re not starting from zero, you’re stepping into an operation with customers, suppliers, systems, and (hopefully) revenue already...

Sweet Equity Shares In The UK: A Startup And SME Guide
If you’re building a startup or growing an SME, you’ll probably hit the same question sooner rather than later: how do we reward the people who are helping us grow, when cash...

Sales Of Goods Act: Key Legal Obligations For UK Businesses
If your business buys or sells physical products, you’re dealing with “sales of goods” all the time - even if you don’t call it that. It might be a wholesaler supplying stock...

Fully Diluted Shares: What UK Startup Founders and Investors Need to Know
If you’re building (or investing in) a UK startup, there’s a good chance you’ve heard someone say, “What does that look like on a fully diluted basis?” It sounds like finance jargon,...
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