Local business compliance: work out what to check
A practical route through official guidance for your activities, location, workers and customer information.
These guides help you identify useful next steps. Requirements vary with your work, location and circumstances. Follow the linked official guidance for the relevant detail.
Editorial guide · source links checked 22 October 2026 · Local Sorted
Describe your circumstances
List your trade, the UK nation you work in, whether customers visit premises, whether you visit homes, whether you employ people and what customer information you hold. Requirements depend on these details.
Check licences for the actual work
Search by activity and location. Check your council and sector regulator too; a generic checklist cannot confirm every permission you need.
Assess the risks of the work
Use HSE guidance to identify the health and safety topics relevant to your work. Our blank assessment templates help organise your own assessment; filling in a form does not establish that risks are controlled.
Check how you handle personal information
List the information you collect, why you need it, where it is stored and who can access it. Use the ICO small-organisation tools for the next checks.