Starting a business during a pandemic: new white paper

Only the most fearless of commentators would have placed bets on how 2020 would pan out for British business after the coronavirus first hit our shores in March. While this year has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, another story has emerged on the business pages and for law firms like ours.

At Harper James Solicitors, we have seen an uptick in requests for legal support from tech, ecommerce and retail businesses, who have pivoted their offer or set up anew to solve a problem or a need. The Centre for Entrepreneurs reports that almost half a million companies came into being between March and September 2020. It’s time to recognise the critical role UK start-ups have to play in kickstarting our economy and that’s why our final white paper of 2020 is dedicated to that subject: Starting a business during a pandemic.

In this new white paper, we talk to five of our entrepreneurial clients about setting up successful businesses this year. They range from an event firm-turned-remote-working-experts HomeWerk to the developers of an app that solves the problem of crowded London commuting, Tubr. Avid, Econscia and Planned Chaos also share their founder experiences and we hope that these insights into the entrepreneurial mindset will inspire others like them. ‘Starting a business during a pandemic’ includes legal guidance for those about to embark on starting a business, and offers commercial advice on nine key legal areas you should consider before you get going.

Harper James CEO and founder Toby Harper commented: ‘We’ve never known a year like 2020 in business before. What’s heartening to us as a law firm serving some of the UK’s most high-growth businesses is that entrepreneurs are being spurred on by the challenging conditions rather than put off. Record numbers of companies are opening their doors this year and that’s not surprising, as entrepreneurs are society’s problem solvers.

‘Sound legal advice is the difference between surviving and thriving as a new business. And it’s those successful start-ups who are going to help Britain’s economy navigate its way out of these stormy seas. Supporting entrepreneurial businesses is what Harper James was set up to do and we intend to keep helping founders realise their goals into 2021 and beyond.’

‘Starting a business during a pandemic will be a valuable addition to the 400 resources that form Harper James’ Business Growth Hub, our themed series of legal guides to every step of the entrepreneur’s journey.'