Tourism Matters

With offices in Kendal, Windermere, Grange and Kirkby Lonsdale, as well as a specialist rural team at J36 Rural Auction Centre, we are ideally placed to help a range of Tourism businesses in South Lakeland, throughout Cumbria - and beyond.

• Hotels and guesthouses
• Pubs and restaurants
• Artisan food producers
• Manufacturers of local products
• Retail outlets
• Activity providers
• Tour and holiday operators
• Visitor attractions
• Farm diversifications

We pride ourselves on the fact that many of our clients come back to us time and time again, knowing that whatever the issue, they can rely on us. Building long standing relationships is as important to us as it is to our clients. We aim to support you and your business as you grow.

In partnership with Cumbria Tourism

We are proud to be a Strategic Partner of Cumbria Tourism. Tourism matters. Not just to those in the tourism business and not just to the tourists who visit the area. The tourism industry as a whole is vital to the Cumbria economy and we all benefit from thriving local towns and villages.

Our staff live locally and we all consider Cumbria is the place to be for a good quality of life. We want to see other local businesses succeed and we want to enjoy our leisure time locally whether it be eating out, attending an event, or walking the fells.

Partnerships such as these help build strong networks who can support each other.

We can help you with all aspects of your tourism or hospitality business, including:

• Buying and selling businesses and property more

  We will guide you through the process of a business sale or purchase. Whether it is the sale and purchase of shares or trading assets and goodwill, we work with you from agreeing heads of terms through to completion of the transaction. We work closely with other professionals in the transaction such as bankers or accountants to ensure the whole process goes as smoothly as possible.

  Our lawyers take a proactive approach to matters; providing support to clients, balancing the law with other practical needs and drawing on our wealth of experience in dealing with transactions, liaising with agents, banks, accountants and other advisers as the clients’ need arises.

• Tenancy and lease agreements more

  Renting your shop premises? Looking to take on a pub? When taking on the lease of a hospitality business it is important to take legal advice as there can be so many pitfalls. The law is complex and knowing what you are signing up for and what your obligations are in advance, can save a lot of aggravation in the future.

• Drafting your Terms & Conditions more

  Whatever your business is offering, whether it's hotel bookings, the supply of your artisan products to retailers, or taking bookings for adventure excursions, it is important that you have good, clear Terms and Conditions.

  Your terms should work to your advantage, but you have to balance that with your legal requirements to ensure that the terms are fair and comply with the relevant legislation. Contracts between businesses have less regulation than those between businesses and consumers. Tell us all about your business, what you do and what you need, and we can help you get those terms right.

• Employment issues and advice more

  Your staff are one of your most important assets. From drafting employment contracts and handbooks, to dealing with grievances and disciplinary issues, we can advise you and ensure that you have the correct procedures in place, so that everyone can get on with doing their jobs.

• Drafting partnership agreements more

  Whilst a business may develop organically into a partnership, without formal documentation, the default provisions in the Partnership Act 1890 may not suit the business’s needs. Formal agreements should be put in place to protect the relationship between the parties for the duration of the partnership and particularly when partners join or leave it. If you are in business with your spouse, partner, other family member or friend, you might not think that you need a formal partnership agreement - but is it better to plan ahead and decide what will happen if someone wants to leave, or a dispute arises.

• Company formation more

  You may be advised that it is better to run your tourism business as a limited company. We will discuss your business plans and options and will prepare the documentation required by Companies House to ensure that you are fully compliant.

  As your business grows and changes, you might need to make changes to its structure. Here we can help with Shareholder Agreements and restructuring.

• Licensing more

  Any tourism business wanting to sell alcohol or provide regulated entertainment will need a Premises Licence and have a Designated Premises Supervisor in place to oversee matters. We can help you apply for a new Licence, or advise you in connection with the transfer or variation of any existing licences. It is important to ensure that you are properly licenced, as failure to do so could result in significant fines, or business disruption if you are unable to sell to customers.

• Resolving Disputes more

  Even the best run businesses find themselves with problems from time to time. From disputes with customers, or suppliers, to unpaid invoices. We can help to solve those problems as painlessly as possible. For more information see Business Disputes

• Business succession planning more

  From large hotel groups, to a small family run bed and breakfast, you should have a plan for the future.

  Succession planning is all the more important in family businesses of which there are many in Cumbria and South Lakes. If you want your business to thrive and survive, it pays to plan ahead. There is much to consider and we can help you plan for the future, whilst you get on with running your business now.