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Family business
Understand the benefits and issues that affect family-run businesses, employing family members or financing from friends and family
Start-up business ideas
Guides and tools to help you find and develop ideas for ways to start up your own business in Northern Ireland
Hire professional services
Guides on how and why to hire professional service providers to help your business in the startup phase
Business planning
Guides on how to create a business plan for your startup and how business plans can be useful at different stages of your business
Patents, trade marks, copyright and design
How to protect and register different types of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade marks, design and copyright
Orphan works licensing scheme
Overview of the UK's orphan works licensing scheme run by the Intellectual Property Office
Types of orphan works licences: commercial and non-commercial
Orphan works licence can be for non-commercial use or for commercial purposes - both types can last for up to seven years
Apply for a licence to use orphan works in the UK
How to apply for a licence to reproduce orphan works lawfully under the UK Intellectual Property Office's licensing scheme
Carry out a diligent search for the right holders
How to complete a diligent search for right holder(s) of orphaned works before applying for an orphan works licence
Orphan works complaints and appeals
Advice for orphan works right holders or licence applicants on appealing against a decision by the IPO
Orphan works: guidance for right holders
How right holders for an orphan work can contact the IPO and what to do if your work is licensed as an orphan work
Register a trade mark in the UK
Apply to the Intellectual Property Office to register your trade mark in the UK
Starting a business - find a case study
A range of case studies from local entrepreneurs who have started successful businesses
Business premises and rates - find a case study
Insight into how real businesses deal with premises and property issues on a practical level
Drive business growth through efficiency
Video tutorial on growing your business through increased efficiency
The Patent Box
How to apply a lower rate of Corporation Tax to profits earned from patented inventions and certain other innovations
Design support for your business
Find out where you can get support and funding for your business' design projects
Sources of advice and design information
Find advice and help to make your small business' design project a success
Funding for design projects
Find funding support for your design project to help improve processes, products or services
Training support for design
Find support for design training for your staff to help you carry out your design project successfully