Advice for businesses

How to obtain advice on business issues

Trading Standards offers advice to all local businesses. If you are in business and need advice relating to that business you can contact us in a number of different ways, or alternatively you can pop into our office near the Crown Courts in Shrewsbury.

Our opening hours are:

8.45am to 5pm from Monday to Thursday
8.45am to 4pm on Friday

If you wish to see an officer in person to discuss your query, you may wish to telephone us in advance to arrange an appointment.

Trader Register

Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned that when they contact a trader to carry out any building or repair work on their homes they are at risk. The Trader Register gives local traders an opportunity to set themselves apart from so called "cowboys".

The trader signs up to a code of practice which includes offering a commitment to fair and honest trading practices. The Register is not an approval scheme, but aims to reassure consumers that traders who have signed up for the scheme, will work closely with Trading Standards.

Follow the links on this page to find more details on how to register your business.

Business Newsletter
In conjunction with other Midlands Trading Standards Services, we produce three newsletters each year for Midlands businesses.

The latest issue focuses on health issues, in particular the introduction of the smoking ban, which will affect almost all businesses, and sales of age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco.

Please see the 'useful websites' section of this page.

Business advice leaflets
The Trading Standards website has over 100 downloadable business advice leaflets, divided into topics such as weights and measures, food, safety, pricing and animal health and welfare. Please see the 'useful websites' section of this page. Some examples of the leaflets are:

• trade descriptions
• selling on the internet
• age restricted goods
• returns policies - guide for retailers
• labelling of packaged foods
• colours in restaurant and take-away food
• sandwich labelling
• meat products compositional standards
• disposal of waste food
• specified allergenic ingredients - commonly asked questions
• selling safe second-hand electrical goods
• selling safe toys
• guidance notes on average quantity
• price marking

Other information for businesses

Our Trading Standards website, also has information on:

• scams and rip-offs - see the latest scams aimed at businesses, including Data Protection scams and money transfers
• advice when starting a new business
• the home authority principle
• useful contacts and links
• how to email us your request for advice

Please see the 'useful websites' section of this page.