Business Companion: a reliable voice in the misinformation age
In today’s digital era, information has never been more abundant or easier to access. However, fake news and misleading or unreliable claims are everywhere, and these can have serious consequences for businesses.
Globally, it is estimated that online misinformation costs the global economy $78bn a year, while according to research carried out in 2022, bad or misleading advice costs small UK companies an average of £9,225 each. With many retail businesses navigating difficult economic waters, that’s money that could be better spent on growing revenues. It could even tip the balance between a business’s success or failure.
As well as the online maze of misinformation, retailers also face the challenges and opportunities arising from rapid changes in the way consumers buy things and interact with companies; shifts in how the UK does business with other parts of the world; and the new paradigm of doing business in the age of Net Zero and climate change mitigation.
It’s a complex business environment, and one misstep in legal compliance can lead to legal issues, substantial fines, and a tarnished reputation. Against this evolving, disruptive backdrop there is a need for reliable, accurate and up-to-date guidance that can help businesses avoid costly mistakes, stay on the right side of the law, and thrive in their chosen sector.
Business Companion is a free online resource that helps businesses do exactly that. Written by experts in consumer protection law, and backed by the Department for Business & Trade and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), Business Companion is regularly updated to reflect changes in legislation, and it is constantly expanding to cover more business types.
Over the past year as part of its Business in Focus series, Business Companion has published guidance on topics ranging from Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to Consumer Vulnerability, Delivery Charges, Net Zero, Domestic Energy Saving, Holiday Parks, Selling Online and Hazardous Materials. Other topics include expert advice on Renewable Energy and Starting an Online Business.
Business Companion demystifies complex legal jargon, presenting information in clear, concise English. It is perfect for busy traders in search of information that can be accessed quickly, Business Companion sets out the facts about things like contracts and cancellations, marketing claims, complaint handling, best practice and much more. Guidance is provided in a variety of formats, including web pages, downloadable PDFs and video explainers, in addition to other handy resources like checklists and useful links for further reading.
Quick guides give the top-line facts about what the law says, while in-depth guides are designed to explore topics in detail, including case studies and more technical explanations of how the legislation applies in specific circumstances. Business Companion translates these legal requirements into easily actionable insights.
Business Companion is a one-stop-shop for accurate and up-to-date guidance, whatever sector you’re in — and it’s all completely free.
Avoid the rumours, uncertainty and potential damage caused by unreliable information, and visit Business Companion today to find out how it can help you do better business.
All the guidance can be accessed at https://www.businesscompanion.info/focus
