Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

13.6 C
Cheshire
Thursday, April 3, 2025

Important Free Guidance for Launching an Online Business From Business Companion

New entrants to the UK’s business scene face a tough set of circumstances in 2023, with limited consumer spending, high inflation and lacklustre economic confidence among the challenges to be overcome. However, despite the harsh economic backdrop, more than 402,000 new businesses were established in the first half of 2022.

And thanks to the internet, more businesses than ever are being launched online than ever before, and the trend shows no signs of decline. In the digital age, a physical shop front is often simply no longer required to sell goods or services.

But with these new ventures having to navigate such difficult economic waters, it is more important than ever that startups have access to reliable, up-to-date and free information which could help them satisfy their customers and avoid penalties for breaches of consumer law.

With that in mind, Business Companion, a free online resource published by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) with the support of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has launched a new guide to Starting an Online Business.

The guide provides detailed information to people who sell goods online, making them aware of their legal responsibilities and to providing a useful introduction to the UK’s consumer and trading laws.

Starting an Online Business sets out the important distinctions between selling items online as an individual and as a business, and the different obligations and responsibilities this entails under consumer protection law.

The ‘Am I in business?’ section includes answers to frequently asked questions and a flowchart which sets out different circumstances under which a person selling items through an online marketplace, such as eBay for example, could be considered to be a business.

The topics covered in this section include VAT registration, as well as the threshold at which a private individual selling items online could potentially be deemed to be running a business in the eyes of the law.

Once it is established that a person selling goods online could be classified as a trader, the second section of the guide covers frequently asked questions about things like terms and conditions and legal compliance.

The third part of the guide contains model terms that can be used as a template by traders to help them ensure they comply with consumer protection law. The terms are relevant to a range of selling mechanisms, including proprietary e-commerce websites, online marketplaces, social media platforms, and any other platform on which a trader sells goods and which is operated by another business.

The resource is easily accessible in website format and as a convenient, downloadable PDF booklet. Starting an Online Business is an essential guide for anyone who needs a quick, reliable and up-to- date answer to a query about the nature of their business and their legal obligations. As with all the information available on Business Companion, it is written by consumer law experts in plain English – and it is free!


About Business Companion
Business Companion is a free online resource published by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) with the support of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It provides businesses of all sizes and across all sectors with expert guidance on a wide range of consumer protection law issues.

spot_imgspot_img

Latest

ECB Intraday Liquidity Framework Offers Direction—But Practical Compliance Still a Major Challenge

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) newly established intraday liquidity...

£10,000 reward to identify mother of baby found in Kirkham brook

Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000...

Cheshire charity wins prestigious national award

The Deaf and Sensory Network (DSN) has been hailed...

Batman star Val Kilmer dies, aged 65

Hollywood star Val Kilmer, best known for his roles...
spot_imgspot_img

Newsletter

Don't miss

Your Help Hub Charts Ambitious 2025 Vision as UK Trades Seek Stability

Off the back of a breakthrough year and recent...

A New Era in Conveyancing: Kaur Sutherland Pioneers Balanced Practice

In today’s high-pressure legal environment, conveyancing firms are being...

Batman star Val Kilmer dies, aged 65

Hollywood star Val Kilmer, best known for his roles...

ECB Intraday Liquidity Framework Offers Direction—But Practical Compliance Still a Major Challenge

The European Central Bank’s (ECB) newly established intraday liquidity...

More News

A New Era in Conveyancing: Kaur Sutherland Pioneers Balanced Practice

In today’s high-pressure legal environment, conveyancing firms are being forced to rethink how they manage rising client demands, maintain business health, and protect staff...

XIMEA Unveils Ultra-High Resolution 245.7MP Camera Powered by Sony’s IMX811 Sensor

XIMEA has once again pushed the boundaries of imaging technology with the debut of its new MX2457 camera, joining the xiX-XL line-up. Equipped with...

Your Help Hub Charts Ambitious 2025 Vision as UK Trades Seek Stability

Off the back of a breakthrough year and recent award recognition, UK contractor platform Your Help Hub is setting its sights high for 2025....