Starting a business
There’s lots of help and support available when taking your first steps in business. Below you can find:
- how to register your business
- support from the government
- funding support
- how to keep your business safe and secure
- other resources for start-ups.
If you are looking to set up a food business, please visit our food business page.
Register your business
What you need to do to set up depends on your type of business, where you work and whether you take people on to help.
Most businesses register as a sole trader, limited company or partnership.
Sole traders
It’s simpler to set up as a sole trader, but you’re personally responsible for your business’s debts and accounting.
Limited companies
If you form a limited company, its finances are separate from your personal finances.
Some people get help from a professional, for example an accountant, but you can set up a company yourself.
Partnerships
A partnership is the simplest way for 2 or more people to run a business together.
You share responsibility for your business’s debts and accounting responsibilities.
To register your business, please visit GOV.UK.
Government support
Central Government
GOV.UK is the Government's online resource for businesses. Here you can find:
- essential information, support and services for start-up businesses
- information if you are planning to run your business from home
- help with starting or running your own business if you are currently out of work.
HMRC
HMRC provides free webinars, emails and videos on a range of topics, including:
- help and support if you’re self-employed
- VAT information
- information for employing people
- an online community for new businesses and self-employed individuals.
The Intellectual Property Office
The Intellectual Property Office provides information to help you protect your intellectual property. Having the right type of intellectual property protection helps you to stop people stealing or copying:
- the names of your products or brands
- the design or look of your products
- things you write, make or produce.
Funding for start-up businesses
BIPC Jumpstart is a grants and support programme for start-up businesses. This specific programme has been funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is being delivered by the Business and IP Centre Cambridgeshire on our behalf.
Start-Up Loans provide Government-backed personal loans for business purposes. They are available to individuals over the age of 18 who are eligible to start a business in the UK. Generally, loans of up to £25,000 are available at a fixed rate of interest and are repayable over 1 to 5 years.
Delivery partners for the loans in the East of England are listed below. In addition to helping applicants prepare their business plan and cash flow forecast, the delivery partners are responsible for assessing final loan applications and providing ongoing mentoring support to successful applicants.
Keeping your business safe
Fraud can happen to any type of business in many different ways, and no business is too small to be targeted.
Cyber-crime, also known as online fraud, affects thousands of businesses each year, resulting in increased costs, operational disruption, reputational damage and loss of revenue. Below are some resources to help your business stay safe:
- Action Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre if you have been scammed, defrauded or experienced cyber-crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. You can also report fraud or cyber-crime by calling 0300 123 2040
- The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre protect supply chain businesses and third sector organisations in the East of England against cyber-crime
- The National Cyber Security Centre offers a practical guide for small businesses on how to make their cyber security affordable. They also have a Small Business Guide to Response and Recovery, which provides guidance about how to plan recovery from a cyber incident.
Other start-up support
- Aviva UK has impartial pension advice for the self-employed on their website
- Business and IP Centre (BIPC) Cambridgeshire supports entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses through Intellectual Property and Market Research advice sessions, and workshops on a range of business support topics
- Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches can provide advice and support to help you start a business if you are currently claiming Universal Credit
- The Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge offers a range of interesting resources for entrepreneurs to help you start your business successfully through its Entrepreneurship Centre
- FSB has a step-by-step guide to setting up a business available to download from their website
- The British Franchise Association (BFA) provides advice and training if you are thinking of joining a franchise
- Plunkett UK offers advice and support to anyone thinking about setting up a community business
- The Prince’s Trust works with 18 to 30-year-olds, helping to turn big ideas into a business reality through their Enterprise programme. They provide training, mentoring support, funding support and resources
- UnLtd finds, funds and supports social entrepreneurs, helping social enterprises start up and grow
- Service-leavers, veterans, military spouses, reservists and cadets who would like to start up a business can contact X-Forces Enterprise for advice and support.