Business advice

Trading Standards have advice and information on every aspect of trading standards law.

Contact us for tailored advice
Become a Trusted Trader
Complying with regulations and guidelines
Scams affecting businesses
Primary Authority

Contact us for tailored advice

Whether you need a quick answer about legal compliance, tailored advice for your business or ongoing professional support, our Trading Standards team can help.

Privacy notice – Please read before submitting your information >

Why we need your information

The data on this form is being gathered for the purpose of evaluating Business satisfaction. Hertfordshire County Council will use this information to review your feedback and where necessary make changes to improve the way we run and deliver our services. As a Local Authority Hertfordshire County Council has a responsibility to protect consumers and support legitimate business under the provisions of its statutory obligations. The information you have provided will be used to allow us to fulfil this responsibility.

What we will do with your information

The information you give us will be held by the Trading Standards department of Hertfordshire County Council and will only be used to address any issues and shape future delivery of the service.
We may also share information with third parties if we are legally obliged to do so, for example if it necessary to safeguard or protect a vulnerable person or persons.
We may also share information with the police or other agencies if it is necessary for the following purposes:

the prevention or detection of crime
the apprehension or prosecution of offenders
the assessment or collection of any tax or duty or any imposition of a similar nature.

How long we will keep your information

The information that you supply to us will be kept on file for 1 year after last action.
What are your rights?
Hertfordshire County Council will be the Data Controller for this information.
You have a number of rights over the data we collect and hold about you.

You have the right to be informed about what information we hold about you and how we use it.
You have the right to request copies of any information the Council holds about you by making a subject access request.
If information we hold about you is factually inaccurate you have the right to have it corrected.
You have the right to object to the way we are using your data.
You have the right to request that your data is deleted. However we may be unable to delete your data if there is a need for us to keep it. In this case you will receive an explanation of why we need to keep the data.
You can also request that we stop using your data while we consider a request to have it corrected or deleted. There may be some circumstances in which we are unable to do this however we will provide an explanation if this is the case.
In certain circumstances you may also request data we hold about you in a format that allows it to be transferred to another organisation.
In the event that decisions are taken using automated processes you have the right to request that these decisions are reviewed by a member of staff and to challenge these decisions.

If you would like to request copies of your data, request that your data is deleted or have any other queries in relation to data which the Council holds about you please contact the Data Protection Team.

Data Protection Team
Hertfordshire County Council
County Hall
Pegs Lane
Hertford
SG13 8DQ
Tel: 01992 588099
Email: data.protection@hertfordshire.co.uk

You can also contact our Data Protection Officer at dataprotection.officer@hertfordshire.gov.uk or in writing to the address above.

If you are unhappy with the way that Hertfordshire County Council has used your data or with the way we have responded to a request you also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office www.ico.org.uk .

Business advice terms and conditions

Chargeable Business Advice is managed and administered by Hertfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service (“HCC”).
When seeking advice on trading standards matters from HCC, you and your business, undertake to complete the attached registration form and return it to us before any advice can be given and your enquiry will be dealt with as per our Business Advice Policy. Your nominated contact officer will be able to guide you through your query and what this means for you.
In asking for business advice you or your business, agree to pay any charges for officer time incurred by HCC within twenty-eight (28) days of receiving an itemised invoice from us for the services provided. Our current charges are shown in our Business Advice Policy.
Payment should be made to “Hertfordshire County Council”. Details of how to make payment (generally via BACs) can be found on your invoice.
In the event that you do not pay HCC the outstanding amount within the prescribed time then HCC may institute civil proceedings against you and/or your business to recover the cost and future services under Scheme will cease to be provided until the outstanding amount is settled in full.
Businesses should be aware that HCC is subject to legal duties which may require the release of information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or any other applicable legislation or codes that govern access to information and that HCC may be under an obligation to provide such information on request.
As a general rule HCC will not keep information longer than is necessary and whilst in our possession HCC will safeguard your personal information according to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 or any equivalent legislation.
HCC’s Trading Standards Service is empowered to enforce a variety of civil and criminal statutes. HCC has a duty to investigate any allegations of breaches of such legislation and the provision of advice under this Scheme does not affect this duty in any way whatsoever.
The use of the services under the Scheme does not entitle you or your business to use any of Hertfordshire’s logos or claim any affiliation with HCC or HCC’s Trading Standards Service in anyway whatsoever.
If you or your business have any complaints regarding the service, please follow our complaints procedure.

For further help or information please contact our business advice line on 01707 281401.

By ticking this box, I agree to abide by these terms and conditions, am authorised to sign on behalf of the company and have authority to enter the registration agreement.

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Email the business support team

Trading Standards, 2nd Floor Farnham House
Postal Point CH0330
Hertfordshire County Council
Six Hills Way
Stevenage SG1 2ST
Open 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday.

Our expert team can provide tailored support by email or face to face, including:

start up advice for new businesses
information on legislation changes that might affect you
advice on print or online marketing so you don't illegally mislead your customers
compliance assessments to help you improve your business procedures
staff training on consumer protection and trading standards legislation.

All businesses are entitled to one free enquiry per year. Any further support is charged at £83 per hour plus VAT. You'll be charged for a minimum of 1 hour, then charged for every additional 30 minutes of advice over the course of the year.

Become a Trusted Trader

We work in partnership with Which? Trusted Traders to give hardworking local businesses the recognition they deserve.

Apply to be a Which? Trusted Trader

Approved traders will be provided with the 'Hertfordshire Trading Standards approved' logo to show customers for extra assurance.

Complying with regulations and guidelines

Trading Standards law explained by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
Better Business For All is a campaign to help Hertfordshire businesses comply with local regulations.
Our approach to Enforcement explains how we enforce business rules fairly.
Business continuity and fire safety
Business licences
Connected Counties - Find out how to get superfast broadband for your business.
Product recalls - guidance from the BSI, including a downloadable copy of the PAS 7100 code of practice.
Letting Agency Penalty Determination Process (PDF 359KB)

Scams affecting businesses

Corporate fraud - Action Fraud explains how to avoid or report it.
Cyber crime advice for businesses from Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Little book of big scams - business edition from the Metropolitan Police.

Primary Authority

Your business can form a legal agreement with us, known as a Primary Authority partnership, to cut legal compliance costs, reduce the risk of non-compliance and avoid the duplication of inspections and paperwork.

A named contact in our Trading Standards team will give you tailored and assured advice, which applies wherever your business operates and can't be challenged by other regulators.

If required, we can also provide:

an inspection plan, instructing other regulators on how to inspect your premises
auditing and sampling of your business
tailored staff training
detailed analysis of your policies and procedures
review of your print and online marketing before publication
assured advice on fire safety from our Fire and Rescue service
contacts for environmental health compliance advice.

Costs will be agreed based of the level of advice and amount of time required.