How to protect your company from legal risks?
The legal side of running a company is complicated and high stakes. Risks can arise from almost anywhere, from recording your finances, to hiring staff, and even customer interactions. These risks can result in costly disputes and fines.
To help take the stress out of legal compliance, here’s the UK’s favourite company registration service, Quality Company Formations, to explain what steps you can take to reduce your liability.
Form a limited company
One of the most effective ways to reduce personal liability is by forming a limited company. Unlike running your business as a sole trader or in a partnership, a limited company is a separate legal entity. This means that the business, not the individual owner(s), is responsible for debts and legal obligations.
Shareholders’ liability for repaying debts is limited to their investment in the company. This ensures your personal assets, like your home or savings, are protected if anything goes wrong.
Operating as a limited company can improve your professional image, making your business more attractive to clients and investors.
If you’re unsure about forming a limited company, using a reliable company formation service, like Quality Company Formations, can simplify the process. Browse through our Limited Company Formation Packages to help you decide, and we’ll handle all the paperwork for you, ensuring legal compliance every step of the way.
Maintain accurate records
Accurate record-keeping is a major part of reducing your business’s liability and staying compliant with legal and tax obligations.
Use accounting software to record income, expenses, and invoices as soon as they come in to make life as easier when it comes to tax filing. Also, keep digital copies of contracts, terms of service, and any correspondence related to business relationships.
Make sure you are aware of the deadline for company tax returns, too – this is 12 months after the end of the accounting period your tax covers. There’s a separate deadline to pay your Corporation Tax bill, which is due nine months and one day after the end of the accounting period. Missing these deadlines may lead to fines. Consider partnering with an accountant to handle these tasks and help you stay on top of deadlines.
Implement comprehensive contracts
Contracts are essential for reducing the risk of disputes in any business relationship. When agreements are ambiguous or incomplete, businesses can be exposed to unnecessary risk. So, contracts should clearly define the responsibilities and expectations of all parties involved.
To ensure contracts are legally enforceable and tailored to your specific needs, it may be worth consulting a legal service.
Be compliant with employment law
If you employ staff, you have a duty to treat your employees fairly and comply with employment laws. Ignoring these responsibilities can lead to costly claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination, or unpaid wages. Here are the standards you should meet:
- Provide staff with employment contracts which explicitly state their pay, hours, and holiday entitlement.
- Maintain detailed records of hours worked, wages paid, and employee performance.
- Have clear policies on equality, harassment, and grievance procedures.
- When dealing with disciplinary actions or redundancies, follow legal procedures to minimise the risk of disputes.
- Regularly identify and mitigate hazards in the workplace to ensure legal health and safety requirements are met.
Seeking regular advice from an HR professional or employment solicitor can help you do the right thing for both your company and your staff.
Secure appropriate insurance
Insurance is a crucial tool for managing risks and reducing liability. Public liability insurance, for example, covers claims for injury or property damage caused by your business, while employers’ liability insurance (a legal requirement if you have employees) protects against workplace injury claims.
Professional indemnity insurance is also available to protect your business from claims of negligence or inadequate service. You may also opt for cyber insurance to help you recover losses from data breaches or cyberattacks.
Summing up
Although it may require an initial investment of time and resources, taking these steps to protect your company from legal risks will prevent you from costly mistakes that can harm your company’s bottom line and reputation.
Remember, you don’t have to handle everything on your own. Partnering with professionals, such as legal services, accountants and HR consultants, will give you the expertise and support you need to navigate legal risks effectively.
For support running your company, check out Quality Company Formations. We offer a fully comprehensive Company Secretary Service to help you maintain compliance with Companies House. This service includes up to 15 changes to your company per year, the preparation and filing of your annual Confirmation Statement, monthly guidance notes written by a qualified solicitor, and a dedicated account manager who will prepare and maintain your company registers.
