Starting up in business - Let us help you get on track

Business Advice and Planning

Advice and help on everything to do with setting up in business is available through southlondon.biz, the enterprise arm of Merton Chamber of Commerce which operates throughout the boroughs of Merton, Kingston and Richmond. southlondon.biz runs a regular programme of seminars and workshops and one to one advice is also provided. Planning your business is a vital element in setting up a successful business and we can provide detailed help in both this and other business areas such as marketing finance and employment issues. Call us on 020 8947 0055.

Tax and National Insurance

All businesses must register with Inland Revenue for Tax and National Insurance purposes using form CWF1. There are also other booklets available giving details of National Insurance. Further detailed information can be obtained from the local Tax Office or by visiting www.hmrc.gov.uk

Legal Advice

Free legal advice is available via the Law Society through their Lawyers for your Business Scheme. In some cases southlondon.biz can also put clients directly in touch with members of the scheme in all three of the boroughs we cover. Legal aspects you may need to consider are:

Business Names or company registration
Partnership agreements
Leases or property purchase
Planning Consent (working from home)
Health & Safety and Food Hygeine
Licencing or registration (ie. Nursing Agencies)
Banks

The High Street Banks offer a range of financial services for small businesses and have Small Business Advisers available to help start up and existing small businesses. They provide packs which cover the main areas of setting up a business. These include guidance on preparing a business plan including a disk to prepare your own plan on a computer. In addition to advice and finance, banks will offer insurance and other services. However, like any product shop around to get the best deal.

Local Authority

The London Borough of Merton through its Business Partnership Unit offers various services to businesses. http://www.merton.gov.uk/working/businesssupport.htm

In the London Borough of Richmond, southlondon.biz holds regular seminars in York House, Richmond Road, Twickenham, and weekly one to one adviser sessions in the adjacent Twickenham Civic Centre. In addition, we work very closely with various local firms of professionals and have longstanding relationships with local banks.

Regular seminars and specialist training workshops are also held in Kingston.

Princes Trust

Although the Princes Trust does not cover our area at present, it is still a useful source of information for young people looking to start their own business. They can be reached on 020 7498 2774 or visit www.princes-trust.org.uk