Startups Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on startups for uk businesses.

Joint Venture Contracts: Key Terms, Risks And Drafting Tips
If you’ve found a business partner who has the skills, contacts, technology, or capital you’re missing, a joint venture can be a smart way to grow faster (without giving up full control...

How To Protect Your Business Name In The UK: Trademarks & Companies House
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to protect your business name in the UK, you’re already asking the right question. Your business name isn’t just a label - it’s brand value....

What Is A Registered Design? Protecting Your Product’s Look
If you’re building a product-based business, chances are you’ve spent a lot of time (and money) getting the look of your product just right. Maybe it’s a sleek piece of packaging that...

IP Agreements: Key Clauses And Why Your Business Needs One
If your business creates anything valuable - a brand name, a logo, code, designs, content, product formulas, training materials, databases, or even a distinctive process - you’ve got intellectual property (IP). The...

What Is A Deed In UK Business Law?
If you’re running a startup or SME, you’ll probably sign plenty of contracts. Most of the time, a standard written agreement does the job. But there are certain situations where a normal...

Governing Law And Jurisdiction Clauses In UK Contracts: How To Choose
When you’re running a small business, contracts are meant to make life easier - not create a legal headache if something goes wrong. One of the most overlooked parts of a contract...

Shareholders’ Agreement Template: Key Clauses And How To Customise It
If you’re running a UK limited company with more than one shareholder (or you’re about to bring in a co-founder, investor, friend, or family member), it’s only a matter of time before...

Intellectual Property Risks For UK Startups And SMEs: How To Protect Your Business
When you’re building a startup or growing an SME, your “value” often isn’t just your stock, your equipment, or even your cashflow. It’s the things you can’t physically touch: your brand name,...

ASA Agreements: What Startups And SMEs Need To Know In The UK
If you’re raising money for your startup or scaling SME, you’ll quickly realise that “getting investment in” is only half the job. The other half is making sure the deal is structured...

Venture Capital Funding: Internal vs External Options for UK Startups
If you’re building a startup, money is rarely the only problem you’re solving - but it’s usually the one that determines how fast you can move. At some point, you’ll likely face...

B2B Contracts: Key Clauses, Risks And Legal Essentials In The UK
If you run a small business, chances are you’re doing B2B business every week - signing up new suppliers, onboarding service providers, working with distributors, or taking on commercial clients. And while...

Directors And Shareholders In A Private Limited Company: Roles, Duties And Risks
If you run a UK limited company (or you’re about to set one up), there’s a good chance you’re wearing more than one hat. Many founders are both a director and a...

How To Find A Cheap Lawyer Without Compromising On Quality
If you’re running a small business or building a startup, legal costs can feel like one more line item you can’t justify yet. At the same time, you already know what happens...

What Are Investors? Types, Rights And Key Legal Documents
If you’re growing a business, chances are you’ll hit a point where you need more than grit and good cashflow to reach the next stage. That’s where funding comes in - and...

Promissory Note Template (UK): Example And Key Clauses To Include
If you’re lending money to another business (or borrowing money to keep cash flow moving), it’s easy to want something quick in writing to confirm what’s been agreed. That’s where a promissory...

UK Design Patents: How Startups Can Protect Product Designs
If you’ve built a product with a distinctive look - whether it’s packaging, a physical product shape, a user interface, or even a pattern - you’ve probably asked the question that comes...

UK Directors’ Conflicts of Interest: What You Must Disclose and Manage
If you run a small company, it’s completely normal to wear multiple hats. You might be a director, a shareholder, a supplier, and the person who “knows a guy” for everything from...

Parent Company vs Subsidiary: Key Legal Differences In the UK
If you’re growing fast, raising investment, launching new product lines, or expanding into new markets, it’s common to start thinking about setting up more than one company. That’s where a parent company...

Trademark vs Registered Trademark: What’s the Difference?
If you’ve started building a brand - a name, logo, slogan, or even a product line that customers recognise - you’ve probably come across trade marks pretty quickly. And then comes the...

Free Business Partnership Agreement Template (UK): Key Clauses & Common Pitfalls
If you’re going into business with someone else, it’s easy to assume you’re “on the same page” because you trust each other (especially if it’s a friend, spouse, or long-time colleague). But...

Title Deed vs Agreement: Key Differences for UK Businesses
If you run a small business, it’s only a matter of time before someone asks you to “sign an agreement” or “sign a deed”. At first glance, they can look pretty similar:...

Special Notice To Remove A Director In The UK: Requirements, Process & Pitfalls
If you co-own a company, director fallouts can get messy fast. Maybe the business has outgrown one director’s involvement, there’s a breakdown in trust, or you’ve discovered conduct that’s putting the company...

Business Agreement Template: What To Include And When To Use It
If you’re running a small business, it’s only a matter of time before someone asks you to “just send over an agreement”. Maybe it’s a new client. A supplier. A freelancer you...

Can You Copyright a Computer Program Algorithm in the UK?
If your business is building software, chances are you’ve had this exact thought at some point: you’ve spent months (and a lot of budget) developing a clever algorithm, and now you want...
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