Business support and advice

Welcome to the business support and advice page. From here you can access information on the services that the City of Edinburgh Council and its partners can provide to your business.

Contents 

• Starting your business
• Growing your business
• Licensing and registration
• Permits
• Understanding your obligations
• Finding the right property
• Coping with crises
• Council services
• Business information

Starting your business 

• Business Gateway - the Business Gateway is a comprehensive source of practical help, advice and support for new and growing businesses in Scotland.
• Sources of advice for business - advice and support for new and growing businesses.

Growing your business

• Business Gateway - the Business Gateway is a comprehensive source of practical help, advice and support for new and growing businesses in Scotland.
• Edinburgh Business Loan Fund - access funding to help your business grow to the next level.
• Developing workforce skills - find out how the Council can help you develop the skills and qualifications of your workforce. 
  

Licensing and registration

• Licensing - apply for a liquor or gambling license.
  
• Food premises registration - food business operators must register with the Council at least 28 days before commencing trading in Edinburgh. 
• Food manufacture approval - if your business is a food manufacturer that processes raw products of animal origin, then you may need approval from the Council before you can trade in Edinburgh.

Permits

• Pavement tables and chairs - apply for a permit to put tables and chairs on the pavement outside a bar, café or restaurant
• Scaffolding, skips and portakabins - apply for a permit to erect scaffolding or place a skip or portakabin outside your place of business.

Understanding your obligations

• Local tax - find out about your business's local tax obligations in Edinburgh, including your liability for Non-Domestic Rates.
• Trading standard information for businesses - find out about your legal trading standards obligations.
• Business waste legal requirements - find out about your legal requirements regarding the waste generated by your business
  Health and safety obligations - find out about your health and safety obligations.

Finding the right property

• Commercial property - find new premises for your business.
• Planning and building standards - find out about submitting a planning application.

  Coping with crises

• Business continuity - access support to help your business keep operating during emergencies and disruptions, including problems with your place of business, equipment or IT.
• Coping with the economic downturn - access assistance from the Council to help your business become more resilient.

Council services

• Sell to the Council - find out about selling your products or services to the Council
• Trade waste - ask the Council to collect and dispose of your trade waste. 
• Business directory - access information on business located in Edinburgh or elsewhere in Scotland.
  
• Scientific services - find out about the range of scientific services the Council can offer your business.

Business information

• Economic data - access up-to-date market information.
• Business legislation - view Scottish, UK and European legislation.
• Scientific and technical information - view patents and building regulations.
• Company information - access company databases, histories and annual reports.
• Information sources for investors - access newspapers, magazines and company annual reports.
• Marketing and statistics - access Keynote market analyses.