When establishing or running a clothing business in United Kingdom, it’s important to ensure you’ve met all the legal requirements. Our legal team specialises in helping small clothing businesses with all their legal needs, from contracts to intellectual property protection and privacy. Get in touch today!
To establish a clothing business in the UK, you will need to prepare and register a variety of legal documents. Key requirements include:
- Registering your business name with Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house).
- Obtaining Employers' Liability Insurance and business insurance (e.g. public liability, professional indemnity).
- Securing Local Authority approval (if operating from a commercial premise) and a lease agreement (if renting premises).
- Having Health and Safety policies and procedures in place, in compliance with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines (https://www.hse.gov.uk/).
- Complying with privacy and data protection policies and procedures, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (https://ico.org.uk/).
- Registering for a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number and, if applicable, VAT with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs).
If you have suppliers for your clothing business, it's important to capture the details of your arrangement in writing. This way, if anything goes wrong in the supply chain, you can refer to the agreement and settle any matters or disputes smoothly.
A Supply Agreement will generally cover payment terms, the goods being delivered, quality expectations, timeframes, termination rights and warranties.
Starting a business on Instagram isn't as simple as making an account and posting. There's lots to consider, such as how to protect users' personal information in line with privacy laws, and what information you are legally required to disclose when advertising on Instagram.
If you're working with ambassadors, it's best to set out the details of your arrangement in a Brand Ambassador Agreement.
Further, you need to comply with the United Kingdom Consumer Rights Act 2015, which is designed to protect consumers from unfair business practices. Put simply, you should not mislead or deceive online users about what your business provides.
It's best to chat to an expert lawyer who can advise you on the regulations that apply to you and guide you through your options.