Business Support and Advice

Advice for Business

The statutory regulation of services and businesses is necessary to protect the consumer, the environment and legitimate business. Nevertheless, the Trading Standards recognise the wide range of legislation has direct impact on the competitiveness which may affect the viability of the business itself. Our advisers respond to enquiries from businesses about compliance with current and proposed legislation. The Service acts as 'Home Authority' for any business with its headquarters in Herefordshire.

Email: ethelpline@herefordshire.gov.uk

Fair Trading

Fair Trading laws and regulations impact virtually every trading and professional business in all market sectors. They include descriptions of goods; consumer credit and finance; property descriptions; pricing; advertising; description of services; labelling.

Email: ethelpline@herefordshire.gov.uk

Product Safety & Labelling

The Trading Standards Service advises businesses on the safety of products including sampling and testing to ensure compliance with relevant standards. We work with manufacturers and importers to ensure that warning and advisory labels are accurate and legal.

Email: ethelpline@herefordshire.gov.uk

Young Enterprise

Advice on a wide range of issues is available for students embarking on a young enterprise programme.

Email: ethelpline@herefordshire.gov.uk

Herefordshire Business Partnership

This is a forum designed to discuss the impact legislation has upon a company's activities. It also offers businesses the chance to meet with the Council's regulatory agencies to express opinions on the quality of service provided. Herefordshire Business Partnership offers businesses the chance to tap into a wealth of expertise and information, and access people who could save them a great deal of time and effort understanding and implementing regulations.

Email: ethelpline@herefordshire.gov.uk

Setting Up A Business

If you are interested in setting up a restaurant, café, or other catering business, it's very important to get things right from the start, because this will make it much easier for you to run your business well in the future.

Anyone starting a new food business must register with the local authority within at least 28 days of starting.

The majority of premises will have to be registered. However, certain premises are exempt e.g. ones which are already registered for food law purposes, certain agricultural premises, motor cars, tents and marquees (but not stalls), some domestic premises and some village halls. You should contact your local authority if you think you might be exempt.

For more information on food guidance and for a 'Starting up' booklet for new catering businesses, which can be downloaded in English, Bengali, Chinese, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu, visit the DTI publications website

Occupational Health,Safety and Welfare

Information on setting up a business can be obtained from a number of sources including the relevant enforcing authority. In addition, the local RoSPA affiliated Herefordshire Health and Safety Group, Business Link and local Chamber of Commerce contacts may prove useful.

The following information is courtesy of Business Link:

The Regulatory Information Team of the Regulatory and Small Business Policy directorate of the Small Business Service (SBS) produces straightforward, user-friendly, authoritative factsheets and guides to regulation. The information is also available on the Business Link website.

These publications are available free of charge either through the contacts whose details are given below, or via the Business Link website or from the DTI publications website

They include a number of regulatory guides on business life-episodes such as setting up in business and employing staff, as well as publications about more general areas such as Health and Safety and Insolvency. The aim is to cut across traditional departmental boundaries and present consolidated overviews of legislation, which the small business proprietor will find quick and easy to follow.

In addition, RAD works with other government departments to improve the guidance they publish on their regulations. This includes a requirement on them to ensure they produce guidance on their new regulations which are likely to impact on business at least 12 weeks before it comes into force.

There are also a number of regulatory services available on the Business Link website to complement RAD’s publications:

• Frequently asked questions on regulatory issues.
• A one-stop shop to access the regulatory guidance, forms and consultation documents on all departmental websites.
• A change of address service allowing businesses to notify government of their change of address on-line.
• For further information please contact:
  Nicky Kumar or Edward Bethell
  RSBP
  Small Business Service
  6th Floor
  Kingsgate House
  66-74 Victoria Street
  London SW1E 6SW

  Tel: 020 7215 4630/4045

Registering A Shop or Office

The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963 contains a requirement that anyone setting up or operating a shop or office activity must register with the appropriate enforcing authority using a form OSR1.

The vast majority of office and shop businesses in Herefordshire need to register with Herefordshire Council's Environmental Health Commercial section (EHC). In exceptional circumstances, registration is with the local Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The form is returned to EHC and the details are placed on the Section's database. A copy of the form is forwarded to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Combined Fire Authority for their information.

These forms are available from EHC.

For more information contact our Helpline
Tel: 01432 261761
Email: ethelpline@herefordshire.gov.uk

Resources

How to do Business with Herefordshire Council

Adobe PDF

153 kb

If you need help to understand a document, or would like it in another format or language, please call 01432 260500 or email info@herefordshire.gov.uk

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