Most UK directors do not realise how much free help is available. The directory below is what we wish every customer had when they first signed up.
Free, public
- gov.uk Business Support Finder — a postcode-driven search for grants, loans and tax relief schemes you qualify for.
- British Business Bank Finance Hub — independent guides on the funding options at every stage from startup to scale-up.
- HMRC Business Support Helpline (0300 200 3700) — call for direct answers on tax registration, deadlines and PAYE.
- Companies House WebFiling and free company alerts — set up free monitoring on your own company record so you spot fraudulent changes immediately.
- Citizens Advice (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) — free advice on employment law, contracts and consumer issues.
Free, charitable
- Business Debtline (0800 197 6026) — free debt advice specifically for self-employed people and small business owners. Run by the Money Advice Trust.
- StepChange Debt Charity — free debt help, including for personal debts that overlap with director liabilities.
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) member helpline — 24/7 legal and tax advice as part of FSB membership (which is paid, but the helpline is unmetered).
- Prince's Trust Enterprise programme — funding and mentoring for under-30 founders.
- Be the Business — free productivity mentoring matched to small business owners.
Region-specific
- Local Growth Hubs (England) — 38 regional hubs offering free signposting and grant routing. Find yours via gov.uk.
- Business Wales — Welsh-government-backed business support including a grant calculator.
- Business Gateway (Scotland) — free workshops, advisers and grants for Scottish businesses.
- Invest Northern Ireland — capital grants and innovation support.
Paid, professional
- ICAEW / ACCA / CIOT — chartered accountant and tax-adviser directories. Look for the Practising Certificate.
- Law Society 'Find a solicitor' — UK-regulated solicitors searchable by specialism and location.
- Mediation services (CEDR, Civil Mediation Council) — alternative dispute resolution that often resolves business disputes in a single day.
When to use which
Tax question — HMRC helpline first, accountant second. Debt — Business Debtline first, your lender (us) early. Legal dispute — Citizens Advice first, then a solicitor or mediator. Funding — Finance Hub first, then a Growth Hub adviser, then a specialist broker. Free help is almost always good enough to start with, and is the right place to begin before paying for professional fees.
If money is tight with us specifically, our help-with-payments page has options that don't require you to involve a third party.
Frequently asked questions — business support in the UK
- What free business support is available to UK small businesses?
- Key free resources include: the British Business Bank (Start Up Loans, guidance); local Growth Hubs (funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund — find yours at gov.uk/business-support-helpline); the ICAEW Business Advice Service (free 30-min sessions with a chartered accountant); Business Debtline (0800 197 6026, free debt advice for businesses); and the Government's Business Support Helpline (0800 998 1098).
- What is a Growth Hub and how do I find my local one?
- Growth Hubs are government-funded local business support services, typically one per local enterprise partnership (LEP) area. They provide free and subsidised advice on growth, funding, skills and export. You can find your local hub through the gov.uk website by searching "Growth Hub" and your county or city.
- Where can a small business get free legal advice in the UK?
- The Law Society's Find a Solicitor tool lists regulated solicitors, and many offer a free initial consultation. Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk) provides general legal guidance. For employment disputes, ACAS (acas.org.uk) offers free early conciliation. For trading standards issues, the local authority trading standards team is the right contact. For intellectual property queries, the Intellectual Property Office (ipo.gov.uk) publishes free guidance and operates a free IP clinic.