Business advice service

You can request business advice from Trading Standards. We will respond within five working days.

Our team offers three types of support:

  • General basic advice and guidance
  • Pay As You Go advice and guidance
  • Primary Authority Partnership

Request business advice

You can also call 01522 552490. 

General basic advice and guidance

This is a free general explanation of the law related to your question. It is time-limited to one hour.

Pay As You Go advice and guidance  

This is for more detailed advice or complex requests.

It costs £60 an hour (£72 including VAT), regardless of business size or complexity of the enquiry.  We will provide a full quotation first.

We offer tailored advice and support on:

  • safety of consumer products
  • sale of age-restricted products
  • legal requirements for websites and sales over the internet
  • food labelling
  • the rights of your customers
  • site visits
  • training for businesses

Primary Authority Partnership

This allows businesses to receive an agreed package of advice and support from one local authority, known as the primary authority.

Other local authorities must consult with the primary authority if any problems arise with the business.

There is a £150 fee to cover the cost of setting up the partnership, plus a minimum contract of 12 hours a year for support.  We will provide you with a written estimate first.

For details about Primary Authority Partnership, visit GOV.uk.

We reserve the right to refuse requests to join a scheme where we consider that it is not our best interests.