Guidance forBusinesses
We know trading standards regulations can be complex, but understanding and following them is essential for your business to succeed.
Our Trading Standards officers are here to help, by providing tailored services to help you develop your business and comply with regulations. By using our services, you can invest in compliance confidently knowing you’re receiving expert advice and support from those who enforce the legislation.
In this section, you can find information about our paid-for business services as well as free advice in our online guides to get you started.
Tailored services
Designed to meet your business needs
Our paid-for, tailored advice can help you grow and develop your business. By coming to us, you can invest in compliance confidently knowing you’re receiving advice from the experts who enforce the legislation.
You can pay for advice through our Primary Authority or Buy With Confidence schemes, or on an hourly basis.
Primary Authority partnership
Primary Authority is a government scheme offering tailored advice on complying with regulations that other local regulators must respect.
Licensing
Information on applications for licences for supplying and keeping a range of products including explosives, fireworks and petroleum.
Weights and measures
If you have weights or measuring scales that require testing or calibration or need to organise equipment verification, we can help.
Staff training
We can offer bespoke training packages at a competitive rate. Whether it is civil law training or an update on a specific piece of legislation, we can assist.
Buy With Confidence
Become Trading Standards approved
Are you a business that customers can trust? Find out more about our approved trader scheme and use our badge of approval to let people know you’re a business consumers can have confidence in.
Understand your rights and responsibilities
Consumer rights and fair trading
The law can be a complex place, so take a look at our guidance documents covering a wide range of common issues.
As well as our guides, we offer businesses free bite-sized telephone advice on business-to-business or business-to-consumer disputes, helping you to determine the best resolution. Contact us for more information.
More advice and guidance
Food law
Helping you to ensure food sold is safe, properly labelled and within the law.
Product safety
If you produce, import or distribute any goods, they must be safe for the consumer.
Cyber crime
Helping you to protect your business from fraud and online crime.
Age restricted products
Make sure you know eaxactly which products are age restricted in the UK.
New businesses
Are you a new business or taking over an existing business?
Latest business news
Farm shop owner pays the price for ‘misleading’ labelling
The owner of a Somerset farm shop has agreed to change misleading labelling on his products and pay £5,000 in costs following a Trading Standards investigation. Following court appearances at … Continue reading
Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards shortlisted for ‘best’ service
Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards Service has been shortlisted for the 2020 LGC Awards in the ‘Best Service Delivery Model’ category. The award recognises local authorities which have pioneered … Continue reading
Devon supermarkets successful in voluntary ban on energy drinks for under 16s
A voluntary ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16-year olds in Devon supermarkets has been found to be successful following a recent exercise. The ‘mystery shopper’ exercise … Continue reading