National Help
The Institute of Directors provides factsheets, legal advice and training with courses including 'Directors and the Law' and an introduction to the director's role. www.iod.com.

The Confederation of British Industry provides publications and guidance on topics relating to legal issues such as health and safety, the environment and employment. www.cbi.org.uk.

The Federation of Small Businesses which lobbies on behalf of small business and supplies information and benefits, provides legal advice for members. www.fsb.org.uk.

The Forum of Private Business runs an information service for members, and puts members in touch with others who can help. www.fpb.co.uk.

Local Help
Check with your local Business Links organisation about how you can get involved with programmes such as the SBS Benchmarking Index. They should also be able to help you get legal advice if you need it. The national website has factsheets about business legal basics. www.businesslink.gov.uk (England) www.bgateway.com (Scotland) www.businesseye.org.uk (Wales) www.investni.com (Northern Ireland).

Online Help
www.learndirect.co.uk is a government-funded online learning service. It offers short courses on complying with all aspects of law affecting business such as equal opportunities, the environment and health and safety. Call the Learndirect helpline on 0800 101 901.

www.law-now.com  Law Now is a free online information service offering personalised emails that alert you to the latest development in English law affecting business. The website has easy-to-understand guides to important egislation, checklists and useful weblinks.

www.tradingstandards.gov.uk The Trading Standards Institute website is a one-stop shop for consumer protection information for businesses and consumers. It has summaries of legislation, and guidance leaflets on a range of detailed topics.