Defra
Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is a Government Department in the UK.
The overarching challenge for Defra is to secure a healthy environment in which we and future generations can prosper.

Department for Business Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is the government department responsible for UK business.

Health & Safety Executive
Government health and safety advice to prevent death, injury and ill health in Great Britain's workplaces.

HM Revenue & Customs
Advice for small businesses and those going self-employed. It's surprisingly helpful and full of useful information.

HM Treasury
The Treasury is the United Kingdom's economics and finance ministry. It is responsible for formulating and implementing the Government's financial and economic policy. Its aim is to raise the rate of sustainable growth, and achieve rising prosperity and a better quality of life with economic and employment opportunities for all.

Information Commissioner's Office
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the UK's independent public body set up to promote access to official information and protect personal information by promoting good practice, ruling on eligible complaints, providing information to individuals and organisations, and taking appropriate action when the law is broken.

Insolvency Service
The Insolvency Service operates under a statutory framework – mainly the Insolvency Acts 1986 and 2000, the Company Directors Disqualifications Act 1986 and the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Intellectual Property Office
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official government body responsible for Intellectual Property (IP) rights in the United Kingdom (UK).

Office for National Statistics
This is the site of the Office for National Statistics and is updated regularly.

Pensions Regulator
The Pensions Regulator is the UK regulator of work-based pension schemes.

UK Government
This site aims to tell you "everything" about the UK government.

UK Trade Statistics
Part of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) responsible for producing trade statistics. These statistics record the movement of visible goods between the UK and both EU and non-EU countries.

Start-Ups

Business Grant Information
It has comprehensive, up-to-date information on business grants currently available in only a few seconds. It contains regional information on around 5,000 capital grants.

New Business Advice
A comprehensive website dedicated to new businesses.

Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is an independent organisation aiming to foster success in young people to start and develop their own businesses. Also hosts a national competition for start-ups to accelerate young business ideas. Free advice for 16 to 30 year olds.

Shell liveWIRE
Provides the latest information on how Shell liveWIRE assists people aged 16-30 who are looking to start their own business.

Start-up Business Advice
Startups is aimed at SMEs. It has a clear and simple design and combines news with practical advice. There's plenty of practical advice in a no-nonsense style.

Business Information

AccountingWeb
A website designed for the accountancy community providing accounting and taxation information.

British Chamber of Commerce
This is the site of the British Chamber of Commerce, the national voice of local business providing a range of services including international trade, training and cost-effective commercial services.

British Franchise Association
The British Franchise Association (BFA) is the voluntary self regulating governing body for franchising. The UK market encompasses many franchise opportunities and we hope that this website will help you to make a more informed choice about which one of those franchises best suits you.

British Standards Institution
Since its foundation in 1901 as the Engineering Standards Committee, BSI Group has grown into a leading global independent business services organization.

Chartered Quality Institute
Chartered Quality Institute - Our vision: To place quality at the heart of every organisation.

European Patent Office
The European Patent Office (EPO) provides a uniform application procedure for individual inventors and companies seeking patent protection in up to 38 European countries.

Federation of Small Businesses
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is the leading political lobby for British small business.

Pensions Ombudsman
Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman.

UK Patent Office
The UK Patent Office - the official government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.

World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.

World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) deals with the rules of trade between nations at a global or near-global level.

Yell
Home of the online version of the Yellow Pages. Search by keywords and browse by category. A hugely impressive site with massive investment.

Search Engines

Google
The world's most used search engine.

MSN
Microsoft's popular search engine.

Postcode/Street Search
Great Britain Street and Road Map Search.

Royal Mail
Royal Mail’s online Postcode finder.

Thomson Local
Promote your business on ThomsonLocal.com, a classified network generating 46 million searches per month.

Yahoo
A very popular search engine.

Business News

BBC News
Find the latest news on the BBC's website.

Financial Times
Up to the minute news, information and analysis.

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