Business
Business Resources
Welcome to the Devon Trading Standards Business Resources Page
In order to assist Businesses we have produced some useful resources which can be used to assist you in acheiving legal compliance and customer satisfaction. If you cant see what you are looking for here please contact us for further advice or check out our Self Help page which contains advice leaflets on a variety of legal issues.
General Resources
Fireworks - Guidance for Businesses storing and selling explosives
Consumer Rights Information for your Business Premises
Contracts Concluded away from Business Premises (i.e. doorstep sales and services)
Counterfeit kills (Advice on counterfeit electrical installation products)
Guidance for Sellers of Second Hand Goods
Guidance for Businesses operating Sunbeds
Window Blind Cords, Curtain Cords and The General Product Safety Regulations 2005
No Proof of Age No Sale Resources for Licensed Premises
Sale and Supply of Unroadworthy Vehicles Guidance notes
Food Business Resources
A Guide to Starting up a Cafe, Restuarant or Catering Business
Quantative Ingredients Declarations Explained
Fast Food Toolkit for Takeaway Businesses
Egg Sellers Quick Reference Guide to Regulations
Advice for Organisers of Markets, Shows and Fayres
Links to Business Support Partners
Fireworks - Guidance for Businesses storing and selling explosives
If your business is Registered or Licensed to sell and store explosives, you may find it useful to read our Summary Guidance 
(99KB - pdf help) on the Manuafacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations. This could also be used as an aide memoire for your staff. If you are considering Registration with us to sell and store fireworks, you may find our Introduction to Safe Storage and Sale (103KB - pdf help) useful. If you have any questions relating to explosives or wish to register to sell them, please contact us.
Consumer Rights Information for your Business Premises
Consumer Rights Posters which can be displayed in stores and shop premises by businesses who wish to provide rights information to their customers.
When you sell goods or services, consumer legislation implies terms into the contracts you make. These implied terms provide protection for consumers, but also for businesses against having to meet unreasonable consumer demands. Often, businesses can deal with customer’s issues more effectively if everyone knows where they stand. The poster also clarifies the position in relation to the statute of limitations, and makes it clear that although consumers have six years in which to make a claim for a breach of contract, this does not mean that goods or service have to last for six years.
If your business sells goods please download our Sale of Goods (57KB - pdf help) poster, if your businesses provides services or accommodation please download our Services (56KB - pdf help) poster. If you are unable to download the poster, we are happy to provide you with print out of the poster you require.
Contracts Concluded away from Business Premises (i.e. doorstep sales and services)
If you are entering into contracts with consumers in their homes, at their places of work or following excursions you will need to provide consumers with details of their rights to a cooling off period. You can get further information about this legislation in this leaflet (785KB - pdf help). This leaflet also contains an example of the right to cancel and a tear off leaflet you can give to your customers. A printable version of this booklet (781KB - pdf help) is available as well as an A4 sized version of the notice of the right to cancel (6KB - pdf help).
Watch a short video explaining your obligations under these Regulations.
Counterfeit kills (Counterfeit electrical installation products)
The installation of counterfeit products in consumers home is a real danger as such products pose a serious risk of fire, injury and death. BEAMA (British Eletrotechnical Allied Manufacturers Association) have formed an Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group to tackle the manufacture and trade in such products. More information about BEAMA can be found here (30KB - pdf help) and their working group website www.counterfeit-kills.co.uk contains more information on the action they have taken to stop this dangerous trade along with useful resources.
Guidance for Sellers of Second Hand Goods
This is an advice pack for any trader who sells secondhand goods (108KB - pdf help). It has quick reference A4 sheets that will help you identify any possible product safety issues with goods you intend to sell along with some useful websites. This can be used as part of your due diligence system for ensuring goods you sell are safe. Please note however these are only summaries of the basic things to look out for. For more in-depth information you should seek further advice.
Guidance for Businesses operating Sunbeds
The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act came into force on April 8th 2011 to help protect the most vulnerable by stopping under 18s from accessing sunbeds. This legislation is an important first step to help turn the tide of skin cancer in the UK. Further information on this legislation and other regulatory requirements can be found here.
Window Blind Cords, Curtain Cords and The General Product Safety Regulations 2005
Businesses must be alert to the dangers posed by window blinds and curtains cords and to their responsibilities under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. There have been several child fatalities caused by strangulation across Europe, including the UK, in recent years. Further advice can be found in our Guidance Notes (34KB - pdf help)
No Proof of Age No Sale Resources for age restricted product sales
Retailers selling age restricted products can find useful staff training and signage designed to prevent under age sales by following this link. For more information on our work in this area and a full list of age restricted products, please visit our Age Restricted Product page.
Sale and supply of Unroadworthy Vehicles Guidance Notes
Selling or supplying an unroadworthy vehicle can give rise to an offence under section 75 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (As amended). Useful guidance on the sale and supply of unroadworthy vehicles and ensuring compliance with the Act can be found in Sale and Supply of 'Unroadworthy' Vehicles - Guidance Notes (110KB - pdf help).
Food Law
A Guide to Starting up a Catering Business, Cafe or Restaurant
The Food Standards Agency have produced a useful guide for anyone in the process of setting up a cafe, restaurant or catering businesses with information on legal compliance and good practice advice. To view the Guide, Follow this link.
As a food producer, working out Quantative Ingredients Declarations for your products can be quite difficult, especially if you are new to the trade or branching out into sales of foods which require labelling. Courtesy of Hampshire Trading Standards, we are pleased to offer a simple QUID Guidance Sheet with calculation examples to assist you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further advice or wish to have your labels considered by an officer.
Fast Food Toolkit for Takeaway Operators
The South West Regional Coordinator for Trading Standards (SWERCOTS) has produced a pilot version of a toolkit for takeaway businesses to assist in making food sold more healthy. The pilot toolkit focuses on Indian and Chinese food and will be followed by the roll-out of a full Toolkit appropriate for all foods and premises in summer 2011. It aims to deliver:
- Education for Businesses on how to balance the meal in terms of salt and fat and also provides an allergen control checklist
- Help on adapting the menu (looking at appetisers, mains and desert)
- Strategies to sell appropriately (display, pricing and marketing)
To view the toolkit, and comment on it if you wish to, please visit the SWERCOTS Website.
Egg Sellers Quick Reference Guide to Regulations
Depending on the way in which you produce and sell Hen's Eggs, certain specific regulations may apply. To make sure you understand the law regarding the sales of Eggs, please consider the Department for Enviroment Food and Rural affairs' Quick Refence guide (46KB - pdf help). Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are an egg producer or seller and you require further advice.
Advice for Organisers of Markets, Shows and Fayres
If you organise a Market or show where traders are invited to set up stalls, it may be worth familiarising yourself with the legal requirements from Trading Standards. You can then ensure your traders are legally compliant promoting consumer satisfaction and reducing your own liability for any issues. We have produced a Guide for Market Organisers (16KB - pdf help) in relation to Food Legislation and hope that you find it useful.
If you are a Devon business and require free advice on any area of Trading Standards or Consumer Protection law please do not hesitate to contact us
We have listed below some other useful organisations who may be able to help with other Business related enquiries:
Name |
Telephone Number |
Website |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Standards Institute | 020 8996 9001 | www.bsigroup.com | Produces British Standards - if you are importing or checking a product the standards that apply to it will be available on this website |
| Business Link,South West | 0845 600 9966 | www.businesslink.gov.uk/southwest | Provides Business Advice and Support - on a range of business related topics including IT, payroll, tax and grants |
| Buy with confidence | www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk | An approved Trader scheme - run by over 30 local authorities across England and Wales and by Devon Trading Standards Service for Devon businesses | |
| Companies House | 0303 1234 500 | www.companieshouse.gov.uk | Registrar of Limited Companies |
| DEFRA | 08459 33 5577 | www.defra.gov.uk | Provides information on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
| Direct Gov | www.direct.gov.uk | One Stop Shop for Government Information | |
| Environment Agency | 08708 506 506 | www.environment-agency.gov.uk | Looks into complaints about pollution |
| Environmental Health (East Devon) | 01395 517457 | www.eastdevon.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation If you are a new business intending to sell food, you must register with environmental health within 28 days of opening |
| Environmental Health (Exeter) | 01392 265193 | www.exeter.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Environmental Health (Mid Devon) | 01884 255255 | www.middevon.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Environmental Health (North Devon) | 01271 388870 | www.northdevon.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Environmental Health (South Hams) | 01803 861234 | www.south-hams-dc.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Environmental Health (Teignbridge) | 01626 361101 | www.teignbridge.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Environmental Health (Torridge) | 01237 428810 | www.torridge.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Environmental Health (West Devon) | 01822 813600 | www.westdevon.gov.uk | Enforces Environmental Health Legislation |
| Financial Services Authority | 020 7066 1000 | www.fsa.gov.uk | Regulator of the Financial Services Industry |
| Food Standards Agency | 020 7276 8829 | www.food.gov.uk | Provides Advice and Information on Food Safety - as well as in depth guidance notes on Food Labelling and Regulations |
| Gambling Commission | 0121 230 6666 | www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk | Regulator of Gambling Businesses |
| Gas Safe Register | 0800 408 5500 | www.gassaferegister.co.uk | Registrar of Qualified Gas Fitters |
| Health and Safety Executive | 0845 345 0055 | www.hse.gov.uk | Regulator of Health & Safety in the Workplace |
| H M Revenue and Customs | www.hmrc.gov.uk | Responsible for the Collection of Taxes | |
| Information Commissioners Office | 08456 30 60 60 | www.ico.gov.uk | Enforcer of the Data Protection Act |
| Insolvency Service (Exeter) | 01392 889650 | www.insolvency.gov.uk | Regulator of Bankruptcy and Liquidation |
| Law Centres | 01752 519794 | www.devonlawcentre.org.uk | Provider of Legal Advice |
| Licencing (East Devon) | 01395 265702 | www.eastdevon.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements - businesses who wish to sell alcohol must first apply to the appropriate geographical licensing authority |
| Licencing (Exeter) | 01392 277888 | www.exeter.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Licencing (Mid Devon) | 01884 255255 | www.middevon.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Licencing (North Devon) | 01271 327711 | www.northdevon.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Licencing (South Hams) | 01803 861234 | www.south-hams-dc.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Licencing (Teignbridge) | 01626 361101 | www.teignbridge.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Licencing (Torridge) | 01237 428991 | www.torridge.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Licencing (West Devon) | 01822 813600 | www.westdevon.gov.uk | Provides Lincences for a Variety of Requirements |
| Office of Fair Trading | 08457 22 44 99 | www.oft.gov.uk | Issues Credit Licences, Enforces Competition Law, Promotes Consumer Interests - businesses wishing to offer or broker consumer credit must apply for a licence from the OFT. |
| Telephone Preference Service | 0845 070 0707 | www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps | To register that you do not want to receive telephone sales calls |
| Trading Standards Institute | www.tradingstandards.gov.uk | Provides Information about the work of the Trading Standards Services |
