Business

Infos

• SCOTBIS (Scottish Business Information Service) provides a research service for businesses across Scotland, based on the vast resources of the National Library of Scotland. At NLS you can access market research reports, business databases, international directories, and business and trade journals.
• Scottish Business in the Community is one of the Prince's Charities in Scotland, it is the only organisation supporting and challenging its private sector members and its partners to improve their impacts on the economy, environment and society.

Legalities

• How to: register a company in the UK

• Company Registration - Companies House

• Docracy - Open Legal Documents
• http://www.businessinsider.com/document-center - american

• A summary of the Data Protection Act 1998
• ICO: Need to notify under the Data Protection Act?

• TL;DRLegal (Beta) -

Lookup any software license shortly summarized in plain English.

Money

Payment

• Authorize.Net - Payment Gateway

• Google Checkout

Tax

• Class 2 National Insurance contributions

Grants

• Funding Scotland - Signposting funding opportunities for Charities, Community Groups and Businesses around Scotland.

Estimation

• http://civicactions.com/estimating-worksheet
• http://london2011.drupal.org/bofsession/drupal-estimating-techniques
• http://www.lullabot.com/articles/art-estimation
• http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/books/1-agile-estimating-and-planning
• http://dev.nodeone.se/node/561

• http://www.alistapart.com/articles/pricing-strategy-for-creatives/

Support

• Support for businesses - Edinburgh Council
  • Social Enterprise

• Firstport supports new and emerging social entrepreneurs across Scotland.

Scottish Government

• http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/help/Help-for-business Scottish Government - Help for business]

Business Gateway

• Scotland's Business Gateway provides practical information and help to you and your business. Whether you are starting out or looking to grow your business, this site will help you find support, offer you the latest on regulation and tax, and provide an access point for other public sector services you might need now or in the future.
  • Business structures
  • Data protection
  • Events

Scottish Enterprise

• Scottish Enterprise
  • Fund your business
    • http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/fund-your-business/Innovation-and-RD-grants.aspx Innovation and R&D grants
  • Interactive Scotland
  • Creative Industries

Edinburgh

• Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

Other

• Creative Scotland offers a range of investment opportunities across the arts, screen and creative industries through a range of initiatives, projects and activities designed to develop talent, audiences and businesses across the country.

• Cultural Enterprise Office

• MEDIA Antenna Scotland - Creative Scotland also hosts and co-funds MEDIA Antenna Scotland, the information office of the European Union’s MEDIA Programme which offers a wide variety of funding for film, television and new media. MEDIA offers funding for development, training, distribution, markets and festivals.

• ScotlandIS- Trade body for the information and communications technologies (ICT) industry, ScotlandIS represents around 200 software, telecomms, IT and creative technologies businesses throughout Scotland.

• Enterprise Europe Network

• Scotland Europa

Social Enterprise

• Social Enterprise Scotland

• The Social Enterprise Academy

• http://www.senscot.net/

Trading

• Trading Standards - Fair Trading advice for businesses

• https://gocardless.com/ - 1% per transaction up to a maximum of £2.00
• http://simplifiedecommerce.com/

Advice

• http://ask.slashdot.org/story/12/01/08/1733220/ask-slashdot-documenting-scattered-sites-and-systems
• http://blog.crispyfriedsoftware.com/post/14179700393/hiring-your-first-uk-employee

• http://megrobichaud.tumblr.com/post/22147155867/everything-i-wish-someone-had-told-me-about

Education

• http://www.saas.gov.uk/student_support/scottish_inside/isb.htm

Ideas and other

• First month freelancing.
• Ask HN: How do you sell yourself as a new freelancer to clients?
• Rethink your Startup Website: Make a Net, not a Funnel

• Ask HN: Is a starting an enterprise software startup worth the hassle?
• Don't Follow Your Passion: A Smarter Way to Find a Product to Sell
• Making Sense of Minimum Viable Products
• Finding Your Voice With the Media: How to Pitch a Journalist

• Redditors who are rich (net worth $1 million+) - how did you get rich?
• Ask HN: My wife needs something to do from home to make money...

Contracting

• How I hire writers

Job markets

• Careers 2.0
• oDesk

• http://www.learningjar.com/publishedSkill?learningPathId=4f960132e4b02d171fd681e1

Spec

• General aesthetic - open q.
• Areas - closed, etc.
• Content and voice
• Colorscheme
• Typography
• Budget