Startups Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on startups for uk businesses.
How Much Do Company Directors Get Paid in the UK? Salaries and Dividends
One of the first “real” questions that comes up once you’ve incorporated a company is surprisingly simple: how much do directors get paid? And the honest answer is: it depends (on profit,...
17 March 2026
EMI Eligibility: Who Qualifies For the Enterprise Management Incentive Scheme?
If you’re trying to attract (and keep) brilliant people in a growing business, equity incentives can be a game-changer. But before you start promising share options to your team, you’ll want to...
17 March 2026
UK Shareholders’ Agreements: Key Terms and Why They Matter
A UK shareholders’ agreement helps set the rules on control, funding, exits and share transfers. This article explains the main clauses and why they matter before you sign.
17 March 2026
Can You Trademark a Word in the UK?
If you’re building a brand, chances are a single word is doing a lot of heavy lifting for your business. It might be your business name, your product name, or the “signature”...
17 March 2026
M&A Law In The UK: Buying Or Selling A Business
Buying or selling a business can be one of the biggest (and most exciting) moves you’ll make as a founder. But when you start Googling “M&A law”, it quickly becomes obvious that...
17 March 2026What Are Commercial Contracts? A Practical Guide For Startups And SMEs
When you’re building a small business or scaling a startup, it’s easy to focus on sales, product, and customers first - and push the “legal stuff” down the list. But in practice,...
17 March 2026
How To Set Up A Joint Venture Company In The UK: Legal Considerations
Teaming up with another business can be a smart way to grow faster, enter new markets, or take on bigger projects than you could handle alone. But when money, customers, intellectual property...
16 March 2026What Is Paid-Up Capital? A Guide for UK Companies and Startups
If you’re running (or launching) a UK company, you’ll quickly come across “share capital” terms that sound similar but mean very different things. One that often trips founders up is paid-up capital...
16 March 2026
Express Contracts: What UK Businesses Should Know Before Signing Deals
When you’re running a small business, you’re signing agreements all the time - with customers, suppliers, freelancers, partners, landlords, and sometimes even friends who are “helping you out”. In the middle of...
16 March 2026
When SMEs And Startups Need Business Solicitors And What To Expect
When you’re building a small business, it’s easy to focus on sales, customers, hiring, and product. The legal side can feel like something to deal with “later”. But in practice, legal issues...
16 March 2026
UK Branch Company: Definition, When To Use, And Legal Requirements
If you’re expanding into the UK (or expanding within it), you might be weighing up a big structural question: should you operate through a UK branch , or should you incorporate a...
16 March 2026
How To Transfer Shares In A UK Private Limited Company
Transferring shares in a limited company can feel like one of those “surely it can’t be that complicated?” tasks - until you’re actually in the middle of it, juggling shareholder consents, paperwork,...
16 March 2026
Group Company Definition: Meaning for Business Structure and Contracts
If you’re growing a business, it’s common to end up with more than one entity in the mix. Maybe you’ve set up a new company for a second venture, brought in investors...
15 March 2026
Standard Essential Patents (SEPs): Licensing And Compliance For UK Startups And SMEs
If your product connects to Wi‑Fi, 4G/5G, Bluetooth, video codecs, smart meters, IoT devices, or any other widely adopted “industry standard”, there’s a good chance you’ll come across standard essential patents (SEPs)...
15 March 2026
Company Equity Explained: What Equity Means For UK Startups And SMEs
If you’re building a startup or growing an SME, “company equity” is one of those terms you’ll hear constantly - from co-founders, investors, accountants, and even potential hires. But equity isn’t just...
15 March 2026
Is An LLP A Company? Key UK Legal Differences
If you’re starting a business with a co-founder (or a small team), choosing the right legal structure can feel like a “pick one now, regret it later” decision. One of the most...
15 March 2026
Patent Vs Trademark: Key Differences And Which You Need In The UK
If you’re building a business, you’re probably investing time (and money) into ideas, products, branding, and marketing. The tricky part is knowing what you can actually protect - and which legal tool...
14 March 2026
Pre-Construction Services Agreements: Key Terms to Include
If you’re an SME or startup gearing up for a build (a new premises, a fit-out, an extension, or even a multi-site rollout), it’s tempting to jump straight to “when can you...
14 March 2026
Sole Trader Business Name Examples: How To Choose A Legal Brand-Ready Name
Picking a name for your sole trader business is one of those “fun” steps that can quickly become stressful. You want something that sounds professional, fits your niche, looks good on a...
14 March 2026How To Write An NDA For Your UK Business: Key Clauses And Mistakes
If you’re running a small business, you’ll probably share sensitive information more often than you realise - with potential customers, suppliers, contractors, investors, freelancers, and even collaborators you’re still “testing out”. That’s...
14 March 2026
Collaboration Agreement Template: Key Clauses for UK Startups and SMEs
Collaborations can be one of the fastest ways to grow a startup or SME. You might team up with another business to co-create a product, run a joint marketing campaign, share distribution...
14 March 2026How To Run A Limited Company In The UK: Key Legal Steps
Running a limited company can feel like a huge milestone - you’ve set up a proper structure, you’re ready to grow, and you’ve got that extra layer of separation between you and...
14 March 2026Pros And Cons Of A UK Limited Company: Is An Ltd Right For You?
If you’re starting a business (or you’ve been trading for a while and you’re ready to level up), one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is your business structure. For many UK...
14 March 2026
How To Work Out Share Price For Startups And SMEs
If you’re running a UK startup or SME, there’ll often come a point where you need to decide what your shares are “worth” - whether you’re raising investment, bringing in a co-founder,...
13 March 2026
Need help with your business legals?
Speak with Sprintlaw to get practical legal support and fixed-fee options tailored to your business.