How to open a cafe or restaurant in England: a step-by-step plan
Opening a café or restaurant in England is doable if you go in order. Here is the roadmap: the business and premises, food business registration, alcohol and music licences, staff, safety, insurance and tax.
How to register a shop as a food business in Britain: step by step
Anyone selling food must register as a food business — free, and 28 days before opening. Here is the step-by-step: registration, hygiene, the rating, allergens and what else to sort out.
An alcohol licence for a UK shop: the steps and the cost
To sell alcohol in a shop you need licences: a premises licence and a personal licence held by the DPS. Here is the step-by-step — what to arrange, where to apply and what it costs.
You opened a shop in London: what you can sell — alcohol, medicine, tobacco — and the licences you need
Congratulations on opening! But before you fill the shelves, some goods need a licence or special rules. Here is what a grocery shop in Britain can sell freely, and where you need a permit, age checks and care — alcohol, medicine, tobacco, vapes and more.
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First convictions for missing Companies House ID checks: what it costs now, and how long is left
On 16 September a City court fined three directors — one of them for failing to stop an unverified colleague from acting. The Companies House transition year ends on 18 November 2026; after that come penalties of £250 to £2,000, a note on the public register and a block on filing for your company.
London trade shows: Olympia and ExCeL, what is on this autumn, and how to get in free
The trade show is the most underrated free resource a small business has: suppliers, wholesale prices and customers in one hall. The full Olympia and ExCeL calendar from September to November, from Top Drawer and Speciality Fine Food to World Travel Market and The Business Show. Plus the key fact: almost every B2B show is free if you register in advance.
Directors have ten weeks left to verify their identity
The Companies House transition year ends on 18 November. Every director and every person with significant control must verify by their own due date. Miss it and you commit an offence, face a financial penalty, and cannot file anything for your company.
£450m a year of reporting to be stripped from companies
The government has announced an overhaul of corporate reporting: the directors’ report goes, and exemptions from the strategic report and from audit are widened. The consultation runs to 30 November and anyone may respond.
Director identity checks: the transition year ends in November
Identity verification at Companies House has been a legal requirement since 18 November 2025. The twelve-month transition period runs out this autumn.