Startups Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on startups for uk businesses.
UK Investor Agreement: Key Terms Founders Need Before Taking Funding
Taking investment can be a huge moment for your business. It can help you hire faster, build product, scale marketing, or simply give you enough runway to stop “bootstrapping by sheer willpower”....
22 March 2026
What Is a Sole Trader in the UK?
If you’re launching a small business, one of the first (and most important) decisions you’ll make is how to structure it legally. It affects your tax, your admin, the contracts you sign,...
22 March 2026
How To Register A Trade Name In The UK: Step-By-Step Guide
Picking a name is one of the most exciting parts of starting a business - but it can also be one of the easiest places to get tripped up. That’s because “registering...
22 March 2026
What Is Crowdcube? Equity Crowdfunding for UK Startups
If you’re building a startup in the UK, there’s a good chance you’ve come across equity crowdfunding as a way to raise capital without relying solely on angel investors or venture capital....
22 March 2026
Restricted Shares in the UK: Startup Share Issuance and Vesting
If you’re building a startup, you’ll probably hit the same question sooner or later: how do you give key people real skin in the game without giving away too much, too early?...
22 March 2026
Share Classes In The UK: A Guide For Startups And SMEs
If you’re building a UK startup or growing an SME, you’ll probably reach a point where issuing only ordinary shares stops being enough. Maybe you’re bringing in an investor who wants some...
22 March 2026How To Value A Private Company In The UK: Methods, Pitfalls And Legal Risks
If you’re a founder, there are plenty of moments where you’ll need to work out how to value a private company - raising investment, offering shares to a co-founder, bringing in a...
22 March 2026
How Escrow Works in UK Business Deals
If you’re negotiating a business deal and thinking, “This looks great… but what if the other side doesn’t follow through?”, you’re not alone. Whether you’re buying a business, selling shares, licensing IP,...
21 March 2026
How To Get A Company Registration Number In the UK (CRN)
If you’re running a small business, you’ll eventually hit a moment where someone asks: “What’s your company registration number?” It might be a new supplier, a bank, an accountant, an investor, or...
21 March 2026
UK Advertising Regulations: Practical Compliance Guide
When you’re building a small business, advertising can feel like the fastest way to grow. A new website, a few paid social ads, a launch email, maybe a promotional offer - and...
20 March 2026
EMI Scheme: What Happens If an Employee Leaves in the UK?
If you’re a startup or SME using an Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme to attract and retain talent, you’re already doing something smart: aligning your team’s incentives with your company’s growth. But...
20 March 2026
Change In Control Clauses For UK Startups And SMEs
When you’re building a startup or scaling an SME, it’s normal to focus on the exciting stuff first: product, customers, hiring, and growth. But when investment, acquisitions, or even a strategic partnership...
20 March 2026
How To Create A Company Environmental Policy In The UK
If you’re running a startup or SME, it’s normal to feel like an environmental policy is something only big corporates worry about. But in practice, a solid company environmental policy can be...
20 March 2026Holding Company Benefits: Pros, Cons And How They Work For Your Business
If your business is growing (or you’re planning for growth), you’ve probably started thinking about how to structure things so you can scale without exposing everything you’ve built to unnecessary risk. That’s...
19 March 2026Advantages Of Debt Financing For UK Startups And SMEs
When you’re building a startup or running a growing SME, cashflow can feel like a constant balancing act. You might need funding to hire your first team members, buy stock, invest in...
19 March 2026
How To Trademark Your Name In The UK: When You Should
If you’ve built a brand around a founder name, a studio name, or a recognisable personal name, it’s normal to start wondering whether you can trademark your name. For small businesses, this...
19 March 2026
IR35 Implications For UK Startups And SMEs Hiring Contractors
Hiring contractors can be a smart way to grow your team quickly, keep overheads lean, and bring in specialist skills without committing to permanent headcount. But if you’re a startup or SME,...
19 March 2026
New Share Issues in the UK: Legal Steps for Companies
If you’re running a UK company and you need capital to grow, bring in a new co-founder, or reward early supporters, a new share issue can be a really practical option. But...
19 March 2026Intellectual Property Agreements: Key Clauses for UK Startups and SMEs
If you’re building a UK startup or growing an SME, your intellectual property (IP) is often one of the most valuable things you own - even if it doesn’t look like much...
19 March 2026Limit of Liability Clauses in UK Contracts: Meaning and Drafting Tips
If you’re running a small business, you’re probably signing contracts more often than you realise - with customers, suppliers, consultants, tech providers, and sometimes even collaborators. And when something goes wrong (late...
19 March 2026How To Change Your Business Name in the UK
Outgrowing your original business name is more common than you might think. Maybe you started with a name that felt “good enough” to get you trading, and now you’ve got a clearer...
18 March 2026
Do UK Businesses Need A Data Protection Number? What It Is And How To Get One
If you’re running a small business, you’ve probably heard someone mention a “data protection number” and wondered if it’s something you need before you can start collecting customer details, sending marketing emails,...
18 March 2026
GDPR And Direct Marketing In The UK: Compliance Guide For SMEs
If you’re running a small business or startup, direct marketing can feel like the fastest way to grow - build an email list, run SMS campaigns, retarget website visitors, and keep your...
18 March 2026
How To Start a Business in the UK: Legal Steps, Structure and Contracts
Starting a business is exciting - but if you want to start your own business in the UK with confidence, it’s worth slowing down and getting the legal foundations right from day...
18 March 2026
Need help with your business legals?
Speak with Sprintlaw to get practical legal support and fixed-fee options tailored to your business.