Contracts Articles

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

What Is Peer-to-Peer Lending (P2P Lending) in the UK?

What Is Peer-to-Peer Lending (P2P Lending) in the UK?

If you’re exploring new ways to fund your business, you’ve probably come across peer-to-peer lending (also known as P2P lending ) and wondered whether it’s a realistic option for UK SMEs and...

23 January 2026
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Is IR35 Being Scrapped? What It Means For Hiring Contractors In the UK

Is IR35 Being Scrapped? What It Means For Hiring Contractors In the UK

If you’ve seen headlines suggesting IR35 might be scrapped, you’re not alone. It’s a common search term, and it reflects a real concern for small businesses: are you about to get a...

23 January 2026
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Commercial Property Legal Advice: Leases, Negotiation Tips & Pitfalls

Commercial Property Legal Advice: Leases, Negotiation Tips & Pitfalls

Moving into new premises can feel like a huge milestone. Maybe you’re opening your first shop, expanding your warehouse space, or taking on an office that finally fits your growing team. But...

23 January 2026
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How to Charge Late Payment Fees on Overdue Invoices in the UK

How to Charge Late Payment Fees on Overdue Invoices in the UK

Late payment is one of those small business headaches that never really goes away. You’ve delivered the work, sent the invoice, and paid your own costs - but the customer’s payment date...

23 January 2026
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Probation Periods in UK Employment Law: Rules and Employer Rights

Probation Periods in UK Employment Law: Rules and Employer Rights

Hiring someone new is a big moment for any small business. You’re investing time, training and trust - and you want to know early on whether the person is the right fit....

23 January 2026
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Commercial Lease Security Deposits in the UK: What You Need to Know

Commercial Lease Security Deposits in the UK: What You Need to Know

Signing a commercial lease is a big milestone for any small business. It usually means you’ve found the right location, you’re ready to fit out the space, and you can finally start...

22 January 2026
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Leasing Meaning: What UK Small Businesses Need to Know

Leasing Meaning: What UK Small Businesses Need to Know

If you’re running a small business, “leasing” can sound like one of those finance terms that everyone uses but no one properly defines. In simple terms, a lease is a way to...

22 January 2026
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What Is a Franchise Business? How Franchising Works and Legal Issues in the UK

What Is a Franchise Business? How Franchising Works and Legal Issues in the UK

If you’re looking to grow a proven business model faster, or you want to start a business with an established brand and systems, franchising can look like the best of both worlds....

22 January 2026
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Overtime Meaning in the UK: When It Applies and Employer Duties

Overtime Meaning in the UK: When It Applies and Employer Duties

When you’re running a small business, “overtime” can feel like a simple, everyday concept: someone worked longer than their usual hours, so you pay them extra. But in practice, overtime raises a...

22 January 2026
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Endorsements In Business Contracts: Meaning And Safe Use In The UK

Endorsements In Business Contracts: Meaning And Safe Use In The UK

Endorsements can be a brilliant growth lever for small businesses. A trusted person (or another business) publicly backs your product or service, and suddenly your marketing hits differently. But endorsements also create...

22 January 2026
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Corporate Legal Services: What SMEs And Startups Need And When

Corporate Legal Services: What SMEs And Startups Need And When

If you’re running a small business or startup, “corporate legal services” can sound like something only big companies worry about. But in practice, corporate legal services are simply the legal building blocks...

22 January 2026
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How To Sell Your Business In the UK: A Legal Checklist

How To Sell Your Business In the UK: A Legal Checklist

If you’re ready to sell your business, you’re probably thinking about the headline number: what it’s worth, how quickly you can close, and what your next chapter looks like. But for most...

22 January 2026
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Finance Lawyers for UK SMEs and Startups: When to Hire One

Finance Lawyers for UK SMEs and Startups: When to Hire One

If you’re running a UK small business or building a startup, “finance” probably shows up in your to-do list every day - chasing cashflow, pricing, funding growth, paying suppliers, and (hopefully) paying...

22 January 2026
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B Corp Companies: Eligibility Requirements And Legal Steps For Businesses

B Corp Companies: Eligibility Requirements And Legal Steps For Businesses

If you’ve been hearing more and more about B Corp companies, you’re not imagining it. In the UK, small businesses are increasingly looking for ways to prove they’re doing business responsibly -...

22 January 2026
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Is Saturday a Working Day in the UK? What Employers Need to Know

Is Saturday a Working Day in the UK? What Employers Need to Know

If your business operates in retail, hospitality, logistics, trades, healthcare, or any customer-facing service, Saturday working often comes with the territory. But even if you expect Saturdays to be busy, it’s still...

22 January 2026
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Online Legal Advice: What You Can Get And When You Need A Solicitor

Online Legal Advice: What You Can Get And When You Need A Solicitor

Running a small business means you’re making decisions all day, every day - pricing, suppliers, customers, hiring, marketing, cash flow. And somewhere in the middle of that, something legal pops up. Maybe...

21 January 2026
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Subcontracting In The UK: Key Legal Considerations

Subcontracting In The UK: Key Legal Considerations

Subcontracting can be a game-changer for small businesses and startups. It lets you scale up quickly, bring in specialist skills, and take on bigger projects without committing to permanent hires. But (as...

21 January 2026
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What Is a Merger? A UK Guide to Merging Companies

What Is a Merger? A UK Guide to Merging Companies

If your business is growing fast (or you’re feeling the pressure of rising costs, tougher competition, or cashflow swings), you might start looking at options beyond “just sell more”. One route that...

21 January 2026
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When UK SMEs Should Hire Contract Solicitors (And What To Expect)

When UK SMEs Should Hire Contract Solicitors (And What To Expect)

If you run a small business, contracts are everywhere - customer terms, supplier deals, freelancer agreements, SaaS subscriptions, NDAs, and the occasional “quick” partnership arrangement that suddenly turns serious. At the start,...

21 January 2026
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Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs) In The UK: A Practical Guide For Startups And SMEs

Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs) In The UK: A Practical Guide For Startups And SMEs

If you’re building a startup or scaling an SME, you’ve probably felt the squeeze: you need great people, but cash is tight and competition for talent is fierce. A Company Share Option...

21 January 2026
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EMI Options Explained: UK Tax-Advantaged Employee Share Options

EMI Options Explained: UK Tax-Advantaged Employee Share Options

When you’re building a startup, you’re usually balancing two big priorities at the same time: growing fast and keeping cash in the bank. That’s why so many UK founders look at Enterprise...

21 January 2026
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Job Sharing In the UK: What It Is And How To Set It Up Legally

Job Sharing In the UK: What It Is And How To Set It Up Legally

Finding (and keeping) great people is one of the biggest challenges for small businesses. At the same time, many talented candidates want flexibility - whether that’s because of caring responsibilities, study, health...

21 January 2026
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Exit Strategy for UK Startups & SMEs: Legal Steps for a Sale or Merger

Exit Strategy for UK Startups & SMEs: Legal Steps for a Sale or Merger

If you’re building a startup or growing an SME, it’s easy to treat your exit strategy as something you’ll “figure out later”. But in practice, the smoothest exits are often the ones...

20 January 2026
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What Is Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance?

What Is Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance?

If you run a small business that gives advice, delivers professional services, or produces work a client relies on, you’ve probably heard professional indemnity (PI) insurance come up (often right before someone...

20 January 2026
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