Legal advice for budding entrepreneurs

10 November 2009



For anyone thinking of starting their own business it can be a daunting time, but a wide range of advice and expertise is now available for entrepreneurs through Bucks New University's Open 4 Business programme.

A series of Getting Started sessions has just been launched by the university, and law firm B P Collins is supporting the events by providing the benefit of its legal expertise and knowledge.

At the first workshop, held in High Wycombe on November 3, David Smellie, a partner in the firm's corporate and commercial team, talked about the legal and financial issues of which start-ups and smaller companies should be aware.

"Lots of people have good ideas and want to launch their own business, but it's really important to have the right building blocks in place from the start," he said.

"Too often, we see individuals who, three or four years down the line, have become successful but are embroiled in legal disputes with colleagues, shareholders or even competitors, because they didn't implement the right safeguards when they first went to market. It's much more expensive to sort them out later, than it is to get it right from the beginning.

"We're able to provide an overview of the issues which people need to think about to ensure their business fulfils its legal obligations and talk about how to avoid some of the common pitfalls. The feedback from the first session was excellent and we look forward to future events."

Presenting alongside David Smellie was Neil Major from chartered accountants Seymour Taylor, who talked about the need to manage finances successfully from the outset.

Jane Adams, Bucks New University's project coordinator, said: "Innovation is key to our success and by working with the local business community we can provide practical support and information about a range of topics.

"There are some fantastic entrepreneurs and business people in our local area and our Getting Started sessions are designed to help attendees focus on the information they need to be successful.

"Having the support of experts like B P Collins is invaluable for us and we're extremely grateful for their time, effort and support."

After the initial Getting Started sessions, there will be a range of master classes, one day, half a day, two hours with one to one sessions, open4advice surgeries, breakfast meetings, networking meetings, and other events.

Events will be held in both High Wycombe and Aylesbury and alternate between daytime and evening slots to give as many people a chance to attend as possible. The next event will be on November 25 in Aylesbury, followed by one in High Wycombe on December 8.

To encourage individuals attend the sessions, free vouchers worth up to £2,500 are available for use through until the end of March 2010. For more details, visit Open 4 Business.

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