In the latest edition of our monthly newswire, we take a look at what you need to do if you want your business to start selling alcohol.

The sale of alcohol in the UK is strictly regulated and you need to be properly licensed before you can branch out into this particular market. Failure to do so can result in severe penalties, including custodial sentences.

Although talk of ransoms may seem to be firmly in the realms of black and white crime capers, the fact is businesses finding themselves held to ransom, as a result of cybercrime, is becoming more and more common.

Small businesses in particular are susceptible, largely due to the resources that large-scale businesses have at their disposal. So what should you do if you find yourself, your finances and your data at the mercy of a faceless cybercriminal?

In the light of the recent Supreme Court ruling against Pimlico Plumbers Ltd, our employment law team is encouraging all businesses to review the relationships they have with contractors.

The judgement should act as a wake-up call to those businesses that operate the so-called ‘gig economy’ model or similar systems.

It was good news for one York business, as local consultancy, The Franchising Centre, was named Team of the Year at the British Franchise Association Conference.

Operating out of York Science Park, the firm is one of the leading franchise consultants and recruiters in Europe, and the team travelled down to Birmingham’s ICC to pick up their award.