Useful Business Links

Business Start Up Advice

Wide ranging commercial small business advice sites with  stacks of free advice...

• Start Ups
• Start In Business
• BizHelp 24
• Smallbusiness.co.uk
• Start Your Own Business
• Newbusiness.co.uk

Other useful start up sites...

• Business Link Advice for businesses from the DTI Small Business Service.
• HM Revenue & Customs Advice from Revenue and Customs on business start up issues.
• Shell Livewire Shell Livewire assists people aged 16-30 wanting to start up their own business.
• Princes Trust Independent help for 16-30 year olds in developing their own business.

Creative Thinking

• Thinksmart.com
• Mindjet.com Mind mapping software
• Enchanted Mind
• The Daily Motivator Thought for the day, have it emailed to you every day.
• Motivational Moments

Debt Collection & Management

• Her Majesty's Courts Service Money claim online.
• Better Payment Practice
• Biz24 Debt Collection Advice
• Insolvency Service
• Citizens Advice Guide To Debt
• Consumer Credit Counselling Service
• National DebtLine

Employment Related

• Department for Work & Pensions
• Bank Holidays
• British Employment Law
• Employing Older Workers (Business Link)
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Directgov Employment Rights
• Flexible Working
• ACAS
• Employment Tribunals Online
• Trade Unions Congress
• DirectGov The official government gateway to services online

General Business Assistance

• Federation Of Small Businesses The leading political lobby for British small business.
• Department for Business Innovation & Skills
• British Standards Institute
• Companies House
• British Franchise Association
• Institute Of Directors
• Confederation Of British Industry
• British Chambers
• Trade Association Forum

Grants

• j4b.co.uk
• Grants Online
• GrantsNet

Health & Safety

• Health & Safety Executive Government health & safety advice.
• British Safety Council
• Health & Safety Books
• First Aid At Work
• DTI Health & Safety Indicator
• Watch Your Step

Imports and Exports

• HM Customs and Excise uktrade info site Authoritative and up to date knowledge on UK imports and exports.
• Export Credits Guarantee Department The UK's official export credit agency.
• British Exporters Association
• Institute Of Export
• Biz24 Import/Export Advice
• Link 2 Exports
• UK Trade & Investment

Information Technology

• Microsoft Knowledge Base A searchable technical support database that will help you when things go wrong   with Microsoft products.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Download.com Great download site.
• ZDNet Downloads For FREE software downloads.
• WinDrivers One-stop source for device drivers, anti-virus updates and security patches.
• PC World The online store
• Winzip The zip file utility for windows.
• PC Mechanic Reference site for PC users.
• Get Safe Online Protect yourself against internet threats.

Law

• Online UK Legislation The full text of all new Public General Acts since 1988 are available via these Web Pages and updated regularly.
• Law Society Of England and Wales
• Law Society Of Scotland
• Office Of Fair Trading
• Trading Standards
• Data Protection/Freedom Of Information(Information Commissioners Office)
• Lawyers For Your Business A network of 1,200 solicitor firms in England and Wales offering  free half-hour consultations to small businesses.
• Law on the web Online legal advice and resources.
• Intellectual Property Office Responsible for Intellectual Property (Copyright, Designs, Patents and Trade Marks) in the UK.
• The UK Competition Commission

Local Directories

• Online Yellow Pages
• 192.com
• Scoot
• Thomsons
• Linkedin
• TouchLocal

Marketing

• Marketing Law
• Chartered Institute Of Marketing
• Direct Marketing Association
• Academy Of Marketing
• Direct Selling Association
• Advertising Standards Authority
• Royal Mail
• Marketing UK
• Marketing Survival Kit
• Cardell Media Strategies to grow your business.
• eCustomerServiceWorld

For marketing lists...

• Marketing File
• Prospect Locator
• D&B

Pensions & Invesments

• Financial Services Authority
• State Pension Forecast
• Pension Calculator A tool to help you work out how much retirement income you might receive from what you save.
• The Pension Service (Dept for Work and Pensions)
• Pensions Ombudsman
• Stakeholder Pensions
• Beginners Guide to Pensions
• Money Supermarket Price comparison for all sorts of financial services products, for savers and borrowers.
• Endowment Redress Which website on endowmnet mis-selling

Raising Finance

• British Business Angels Association
• British Venture Capital Association
• Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme
• Mortgages for business

Training

• The Open University
• Department for Education
• Investors In People
• Apprenticeships
• Learn Direct Distance learning, online courses, computer courses and adult courses.
• Training Zone