Choosing the right premises is a key business decision. You want premises that help you operate effectively without excessive costs. At the same time, you want to avoid being tied to premises that might not suit you in the future.

Different options suit different businesses. Working from home is a good option if all you need is a small office space. You can also rent premises or buy a property outright.

The set of highlights described below explains how to search for premises that meet your requirements and how to choose the best location for your business. It will also help you establish whether renting, buying or working from home is the best option for you and explain the key legal issues that you need to understand.

·         Your requirements

·         Choose the right location for your business premises

·         Decide whether to rent your business premises

·         Decide whether to buy your business premises

·         Decide whether you could work from home

·         Legal considerations when choosing business premises

·         Search for premises

If you are planning to setup and run a "work at home" business, there are a number of points to check before you begin.

Working from home can affect your mortgage, your home insurance, your tax situation and even your neighbors.

The set of highlights described below explains the advantages and disadvantages of working from home and helps you turn the place you live into a place of work.

·         What to check before starting a work at home business

·         UK building regulations and planning permission

·         Tax considerations of working from home

·         Home working health and safety risk assessment

·         Segregation of work area when working from home

·         Work equipment and workstation setup

·         Hazardous substances and working from home

·         Emergencies

·         Advantages and disadvantages of working from home

Finding the right premises for your business is crucial if it is to be run effectively and make a profit. A key decision is whether to buy or rent property. Renting premises ties up less capital than buying which means you can invest it in the business instead. It can also give you flexibility to relocate easily should you need to.

The type of premises you rent will be partly dictated by the type of business you are running. The amount you can afford - taking into account extra costs such as business and utility rates, and building insurance - will also be a deciding factor.

The set of tips described below outlines the things you should consider before deciding whether renting is a better option for you than buying. It describes your responsibilities as a tenant, the practicalities you need to consider and the type of expert help you can get to make the renting process as trouble free as possible.

·         The advantages of renting

·         Finding the right premises

·         Types of rental agreement

·         Practicalities of renting

·         Your responsibilities as a tenant

·         Alterations to the property

·         Rent reviews and ending the rental

·         Here's how we decided renting premises was best for our business

Businesses looking for premises will often choose to rent, but if you have some capital available for the initial investment, it's worth considering the advantages of buying a property. Buying premises has a number of benefits over renting. Mortgage repayments can work out cheaper than rental costs and at the end of the mortgage term the property will belong to you.

You will also have a lot more freedom to do what you want with the property and you could generate income by renting it out or by selling it at a profit. However, there are still restrictions and regulations, and the legal process when buying a property can be complicated.

The set of activities described below introduces you to everything involved, from choosing the right location to exchanging contracts. In Scotland this is known as concluding contracts. It also suggests where you can go for more help.

• Buying your own premises: advantages and disadvantages
• Find a suitable property to buy
• Choose the right location for your business
• Making alterations to the property
• Costs relating to a property purchase
• Make an offer
• Using a surveyor
• Using a solicitor
• Exchanging contracts

Your business may need to obtain planning permission from your local planning authority if you want to:

• build new premises
• extend or alter existing premises
• change the external appearance of a building
• change a building's use

Most building work must also comply with building regulations.

The set of activities described below sets out the circumstances in which you're likely to require planning permission and explains how to apply for it and make the process as smooth as possible. It also covers the key requirements of building regulations.

·         What is planning permission?

·         When do I need planning permission?

·         Planning consent to change a building's use

·         Planning consent to extend or alter a property

·         Prepare to apply for planning permission

·         Apply for planning permission

·         Appealing against delayed or refused planning permission

·         What are building regulations?

·         Complying with building regulations

Every business has legal responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of employees and other people affected by their business' activities, such as customers and suppliers. But the right approach isn't just about doing the minimum required to comply with the legal requirements. It can also benefit your business. Poor health and safety leads to illness and accidents and significant costs for your business.

Effective health and safety practices pay for themselves. They also improve your reputation with customers, regulators and your own employees. The set of activities described below explains how the right approach can benefit your business.

·         Comply with health and safety rules

·         Avoid the costs of illness, accidents and incidents at work

·         Improve your reputation through health and safety practices

·         Health and safety practices and your insurance costs

·         Plan ahead to get health and safety measures right

You have a legal responsibility for the health and safety of your employees and anyone else, e.g. customers, who may be affected by your business and its activities. Health and safety is about preventing people from being harmed at work or becoming ill, by taking the right precautions and providing a satisfactory working environment.

Implementing good health and safety practices will help you comply with the law and provide an acceptable workplace. The set of tips described below outlines the main steps you need to take. It also explains where you can find more detailed information and help on health and safety issues.

·         Comply with key health and safety rules

·         Who ensures that health and safety law is being complied with?

·         Do I need to register my business?

·         Make sure your business is properly insured

·         Substances covered by health and safety laws

·         Activities covered by health and safety laws

·         Maintain high standards of occupational health

·         Health and safety in specific business sectors

·         Checklist: protecting health and safety

·         Here's how my business approaches health and safety issues

Most new businesses employing people must register for compliance with health and safety rules with an enforcement agency. It depends on what your business does whether you register with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) or your local authority. Once you have registered, the relevant authority will check that your premises are suitable and that you are observing health and safety regulations.

The set of activities described below explains which authority is relevant to you, how to register and what happens once you have registered.

·         Decide if you need to register

·         Decide who to register with - HSE or local authority

·         Complete the registration form for the HSE or your local authority

·         What happens after you have filled in the health and safety registration form

All businesses must ensure their workplace - whether this is a factory, office or shop - meets minimum health and safety standards. Your responsibilities are likely to include:

• carrying out a risk assessment
• providing clean toilets and sanitation facilities
• meeting fire safety standards
• ensuring employees use IT equipment safely
• reporting accidents or dangerous incidents in the workplace to the relevant authorities

The set of activities described below gives an overview of what you need to do to meet minimum health and safety standards and tells you where to look for more information.

·         Carry out a risk assessment of your workplace

·         Ensure basic levels of comfort

·         Put up suitable notices and signs

·         Provide suitable first aid facilities

·         Fire protection

·         Make sure equipment is appropriate

·         Safe use of IT equipment

·         Report incidents in the workplace

·         Health and safety for people who work at home

All businesses have an impact on the environment, including the production of waste. As part of the operation of your business, you should try and reduce waste as much as possible. Where you cannot avoid creating waste, you need to make sure it's managed well. A waste-management policy will help you do this. As part of an environmental management system (EMS), it will also contribute to your business' sustainability.

Good waste management isn't just about complying with legislation - your business can benefit too. You can see specific benefits, such as saving money, and, as part of an EMS, your waste-management policy could attract business opportunities. For example, you could improve your business image and increase your chances of attracting investment.

The set of activities described below gives you practical advice about how to create an effective waste-management policy, explains better practice and offers sources of help and support for businesses.

·         The business benefits of managing waste effectively

·         Create a waste policy

·         Conduct a waste review

·         Create a waste management plan

·         Choose a suitable waste-management option

·         Waste reuse, recovery and recycling

·         Find organizations to help you deal with your waste

·         How can I introduce a waste management policy?

All businesses generate waste and have to store, handle and dispose of it on an ongoing basis. There are sound business benefits, including cost savings, for managing your waste as efficiently as possible, but there is also legislation that requires you to do so.

The purpose of these laws is to prevent the environment being polluted by business waste and to encourage more sustainable management of waste. Some legislation applies to all business waste, whilst some deals with particular types of waste.

The set of tips described below sets out what waste is and outlines the legislation you must comply with when storing, handling and disposing of waste. It explains the specific rules that apply to hazardous waste, packaging waste, electrical and electronic waste, and other specialist types of waste. And it outlines the rules that apply to transporting waste. 

·         What is waste?

·         Comply with waste storage and disposal legislation

·         Comply with hazardous waste legislation

·         Comply with packaging waste legislation

·         Comply with controls on specific types of waste

·         Comply with waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) legislation

·         Comply with rules on transporting waste

·         Carrying out waste activities yourself