Startups Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on startups for uk businesses.
What Is Ordinary Share Capital? Ordinary Shares and Shareholder Rights
If you’re building a UK startup, at some point you’ll probably hear a question like: “How much ordinary share capital does the company have?” It sounds technical (and a bit intimidating), but...
25 February 2026
How Much Should Salaries Increase Each Year In the UK?
If you’re running a small business or startup, deciding pay rises can feel like walking a tightrope. You want to keep great people, stay competitive, and reward performance - but you also...
25 February 2026
UK DPA Compliance: Practical Steps For Businesses
If you run a small business or startup, you probably collect personal data every day - customer emails, employee records, supplier contacts, website analytics, even CCTV footage in some cases. That’s where...
24 February 2026
UK Competition Law: How It Affects Your Business And Agreements
When you’re busy building a product, finding customers and negotiating deals, “competition law” can feel like something that only matters to big corporations. But UK competition law can affect small businesses and...
24 February 2026
Key Contract Terms And Pitfalls Businesses Should Check Before Signing
When you’re running a small business, signing a contract can feel like a quick admin task between sales calls, deliveries, payroll and everything else. But a contract is often where your risk...
24 February 2026
Agent Authority: Actual, Apparent And Implied Authority In the UK
When you’re running a small business, you can’t personally sign every contract, approve every purchase order, or negotiate every deal. You’ll almost always rely on other people to act on your behalf...
24 February 2026
Risks Of Not Paying Shareholder Dividends In The UK
If you run a UK company with more than one shareholder, dividends can quickly become a “touchy” topic. Maybe the business needs cash to grow. Maybe you’re reinvesting profits. Or maybe there’s...
24 February 2026
What Is a Board Resolution? A Guide for UK Company Directors
If you’re running a UK limited company, you’ll eventually hit a moment where a quick chat between directors isn’t enough. Maybe you’re opening a new bank account, signing a major contract, appointing...
24 February 2026
Free UK NDA Template: Key Clauses, Mistakes, And Legal Help
If you’re running a small business, you’re probably sharing ideas and information all the time - with potential clients, suppliers, freelancers, investors, and even collaborators who might one day become competitors. That’s...
24 February 2026Company Director Meaning In The UK: Roles, Duties And Legal Responsibilities
If you run a limited company (or you’re thinking about setting one up), you’ll almost certainly come across the term “director”. But in the UK, the legal meaning of a company director...
23 February 2026
When Startups Need Legal Help: Startup Lawyers in the UK
Starting a business is exciting - until you hit your first “wait… is this legally okay?” moment. Maybe you’re bringing on a co-founder, building a product with a developer, signing your first...
23 February 2026
How To Register A Trading Name In The UK
Choosing a business name is one of the most exciting parts of starting (or rebranding) a small business. It’s the name customers will search for, recommend to friends, and remember when they’re...
23 February 2026
Small Business Lawyer Services in the UK: Costs, Coverage & How to Choose
Running a small business means you’re making decisions every day that can have legal consequences - even when they don’t feel “legal”. A new client comes on board, a supplier wants you...
23 February 2026Buying a Business in the UK: Legal Checklist for SMEs and Startups
Buying an existing business can feel like a shortcut to growth. You’re not starting from zero - there’s already a customer base, suppliers, systems, staff, and (hopefully) revenue. But buying a business...
23 February 2026
Escrow Agreements: Managing Payment And Delivery Risk For UK Businesses
If you sell goods or services to new customers, pay suppliers upfront, or build anything that takes time to deliver, you’ve probably felt the same frustration: someone needs to take the first...
23 February 2026
Health and Safety Statement: What to Include and Why It Matters in the UK
If you run a small business, health and safety can feel like a “big company” problem - until the day something goes wrong. A solid health and safety statement is one of...
23 February 2026Raising Capital For UK Startups: Key Legal Steps And Documents
Figuring out how to raise capital is one of the biggest “make or break” moments for a UK startup. You might have a great product, early traction, and a clear vision -...
23 February 2026How Share Redemptions Work for UK Companies
If you run a UK company and you’re looking for a clean way to return value to a shareholder, simplify your cap table, or tidy up old investor terms, you’ve probably come...
22 February 2026How To Draft A Contract In the UK: A Practical Checklist
When you’re running a small business or building a startup, contracts can feel like paperwork you’ll “get to later”. But in practice, putting a contract in place early (and drafting it properly)...
22 February 2026Health And Safety Policy Template (Word): What To Include And How To Use It
If you’ve been searching for a health and safety policy template in Word , you’re probably trying to do the right thing: set clear safety rules, protect your team, and keep your...
22 February 2026
How To Choose The Right UK IP Lawyer (And What It Costs)
If you’ve built something valuable - a brand name, a product, a design, a piece of software, a course, a formula, or any creative asset - you’ve probably created intellectual property (IP),...
22 February 2026Branch vs Subsidiary: Key Differences for UK Businesses
If you’re growing your business, it’s pretty normal to hit a point where “one location” (or one operational hub) just isn’t enough anymore. Maybe you’re opening a second site in a new...
22 February 2026
Do Sole Traders Have Unlimited Liability in the UK?
If you’re starting a business in the UK, it’s hard to beat the simplicity of operating as a sole trader. There’s less admin, fewer formalities, and you can get going quickly. But...
22 February 2026How To Franchise Your Business In the UK: Legal Steps Explained
If your business is performing well, it’s natural to start thinking: “How do I scale this without doing everything myself?” Franchising can be an effective growth strategy for UK small businesses because...
22 February 2026
Need help with your business legals?
Speak with Sprintlaw to get practical legal support and fixed-fee options tailored to your business.