Are you considering taking your high-growth startup international by entering the UK market? With its dynamic business environment, strategic location, and startup-friendly legal framework, the UK presents an excellent opportunity.
At Seven Legal, we are experts in facilitating successful market entries for founders like you. Read on for essential insights that could define your expansion success.
Why Choose the UK?
Despite the uncertain forecasts post-Brexit, the resilience of the UK market continues to surprise many. Beyond its iconic culture of fish and chips and unpredictable weather, the UK stands as a formidable economic hub. It boasts a robust legal system, a strategically advantageous timezone, and remains a vital player in the global tech ecosystem—ranked third worldwide. Such attributes make it an attractive destination for burgeoning international enterprises.
Securing Funding in the UK
The UK’s appealing tax incentives like the SEIS and EIS schemes are significant draws. In 2021-2022 alone, the EIS scheme facilitated £584 million in new investments. Additionally, the ease of acquiring finance through equity or debt offers great flexibility for growing companies.
Establishing Your Business in the UK
To launch your operations in the UK, consider setting up a limited company, especially if engaging with SEIS/EIS investors. This setup requires:
- Articles of Association: Your company’s governance constitution.
- Statutory Filings: Regular submissions to Companies House, including accounts and director details.
- Share Issuance: directors generally have authority to issue new shares in the company, this is subject to any limitations in the articles and any pre-emption rights that may apply in favour of the existing shareholders.
Transparency and Ownership
The UK mandates public disclosure of any party owning over 25% of a company. Ensuring compliance is crucial to avoid significant penalties.
Employment and HR Dynamics
The UK’s employment laws are designed to protect workers, which means you need to be on top of your HR game. However, it’s significantly more company friendly than many other jurisdictions in Europe. Also, there is a deep pool of great tech talent at relatively low cost, so it’s definitely an overall net positive. Here are the essentials:
- Written Contracts: Every employee needs one so get a good template and understand how to use it.
- Fair and equal treatment of employees: The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination based on age, race, gender, and more.
- Termination of employees: Dismissal must be justified. There’s compensation for wrongful or unfair dismissal – so once you’re considering making changes to your staffing it’s important to get advice early to avoid unnecessary risk and avoidable costs.
There are also some very tax advantageous ways of setting up employee incentives, such as through EMI schemes. Again, it’s important to get advice early to ensure that this is done correctly so your employees don’t miss out on these great breaks in the future.
Understanding UK Taxation
Navigating the UK’s tax environment—comprising corporation tax, VAT, and NIC—is complex. To avoid surprises, work with a tax advisor who knows the UK system inside and out.
Regulatory Compliance and Data Protection
If you’re coming from Europe some of the compliance requirements may look relatively familiar, however as we potentially diversify away from the EU you’ll need to keep abreast of key changes. As a start point, you’ll want to ensure you understand and comply with anti-money laundering, bribery laws, and the UK GDPR. Larger customers will expect you to understand and reference compliance with these laws so it’s worth getting up to speed early. As always, it’s key to ensure your data protection policies are rock-solid.
Intellectual Property Protection
Intellectual property (IP) is the lifeblood of many startups and it’s this that drives the value of your business to potential investors. The UK has strong protections for patents, trademarks, copyrights, and design rights. Get these locked down early to prevent costly legal issues down the road.
Conclusion: Your UK Market Entry
Venturing into the UK market could significantly impact your startup’s trajectory. With careful planning and the right guidance from Seven Legal, you can navigate this complex landscape effectively. Ready to expand? Contact us today to start your UK journey.
By Saman Harris, Head of Commercial at Seven Legal
Saman is a senior commercial tech GC with expertise in helping tech companies and Fintechs safely navigate complex legal and commercial issues during periods of rapid international expansion.
