Doing business in the United Kingdom requires some knowledge of UK ministries, departments and cabinet offices basics. Four separate countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland make up the UK. The UK government is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch. This means that the head of state is a king or queen, and the head of the government is the prime minister. Citizens elect members of Parliament to represent them.

While the government in the UK is much like the US government, there are a few differences. The queen appoints the prime minister, and the prime minister appoints the members of the cabinet, which is the central governing committee. The number and duties of United Kingdom ministries can sometimes change through the creation of new ministries or the shifting of duties from one to another. Here are some important services UK ministries provide to businesses:

1. The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform deals with trade and exports.

2. The Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills supports research and workplace training.

3. UK Foreign Ministry helps promote UK companies abroad and provides essential information for business travelers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Discover what UK government departments can do for your business

The World Bank ranks the UK first in Europe and sixth in the world as a location for running a business.

I recommend: The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) is the major government department of UK dealing with business. BERR offers free support and advice to UK businesses through Business Link.

Find the UK cabinet offices that can help you

Whatever your business needs to succeed, UK cabinet ministries are there to serve you.

I recommend: The Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills (DIUS) helps businesses succeed through programs such as "Train to Gain," which provides training to employees. If your industry deals with energy, the environment or renewable resources, you should know about the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Learn more about UK departments

If you are considering locating or expanding your business to the UK, there are many resources to help you.

I recommend: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides information on UK embassies and other essential information for business travelers as well as promoting UK businesses abroad. UK Trade & Investment Services is a government department of UK that offers a wealth of free information and support specifically for global businesses wishing to locate in the UK.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before attempting to contact ministries in UK or even a UK bank, you should be aware of the holidays and time difference between countries.

UK ministries, departments and cabinet offices can help you take the UK by storm. Whether you have your sights on setting up shop across the pond, or this is your first step towards expanding your current business internationally, the ministries in the UK can help you. The ministries, departments and cabinets will give you the lay of the land in terms of incorporation, taxation and all specific regulations that you need to be aware of when beginning your enterprise in the British Isles.

These administrative bodies provide hundreds of different services, but navigating the UK ministries, departments and cabinet offices can be daunting at first. To make your search easier there are several sites that will allow you to:

1. Identify and contact the appropriate UK ministries and cabinets, along with the people who run them.

2. Get your business in compliance with all UK business laws and regulations through the correct UK departments, ministries and cabinets.

3. Survive the UK's marketplace and prepare your business for overseas disasters.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Come to know all of the UK departments and ministries and what they can do for you and your business

The UK cabinet offices and ministries are quite similar to those of the U.S. You can easily find the minister in charge of the area you that you need guidance in and contact them with the help of their user friendly UK Cabinet Ministries websites.

I recommend: The official website of Parliament provides the names and contact information of all the Members of Parliament in the UK. The United Kingdom Cabinet Office website gives you contact information for all of the different government offices by region.

Set up shop properly with direction from the United Kingdom ministries

Licensing, regulation and standards can be tricky business at home, even more so if you are taking your show on the road. The UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory has guidance that will get you going. These UK government departments will help you ensure that your business meets all local and national laws.

I recommend: The UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory's Business Link website allows you to enter information about your business and then instructs you on what to do to ensure that you are in compliance with the country's business rules and regulations. Their Better Regulation website allows you to provide the department with feedback on how to better improve these regulations to keep business running smoothly in the UK.

Prepare your business for challenges and threats with help from the right UK government departments

Preparing for unexpected problems is especially important in a post 9-11 world. Knowing how to handle problems and emergencies while in the UK is a necessity if you want to keep your overseas operations running smoothly.

I recommend: UK Trade and Investment wants you to take advantage of their free services and lets you create a "My UK" page where you can organize all of these tools for your business on one page. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport lets you download a planning manual and holds frequent workshops to help you establish your emergency plan.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While UK ministries can help you get started you may also want to check out sites like eubusiness.com that can help you make inroads into the rest of the Europe Union's business markets.

Britain's UK Ministries, Departments and Cabinet Offices have their US counterparts, although the names are not the same. In order to get UK Ministries, Departments and Cabinet Offices education and training, use the excellent information provided by the British government through websites.

Learn what services ministries in UK provide to its constituents and find out if those services are useful to you. Make a list of what you need from the UK government.

1. Use the UK government's portals to get information on UK government departments and UK ministries.

2. Acquaint yourself with the difference between the ministerial offices and the cabinet offices, which fall under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

3. As you learn about ministries of United Kingdom, make a list of which ministries are useful to you.

4. If after giving yourself your own Departments and Cabinet Offices education and training, and you still need help, the US Embassy will know.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get acquainted with the UK government departments

UK ministries, departments and cabinet offices are all parts of the British government. UK cabinet offices serve under the Prime Minister. Many England ministries work with foreign businesses and expats.

I recommend: The list of ministries will give you insight to the breadth and depth of its work. The official Cabinet Office website is a clearly written, informative description of all aspects of the office. It also lists non-ministerial departments that perform important work within the government.

Get an overview of the structure of UK government departments

UK Ministries, departments and cabinet offices fit within the larger framework of Great Britain's government. It is important to understand where they fit into the broader scheme.

I recommend: United Kingdom ministries and Cabinet Offices departments fall under the umbrella of the central government and monarchy. Directgov is an important website because it not only provides the governmental structure, but you can search archived material and official publications that contain information you need.

Check out the individual websites for United Kingdom ministries

Many ministries and UK departments have individual websites that provide in-depth information on their services. If you still haven't found the answers you're looking for, email the website with your questions.

I recommend: If you're interested in doing business and trade in the UK, you only have to go the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website for the information you need. Also, the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform follows economics conditions regarding business.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For more help with learning about ministries in UK, consider contacting the British embassy in the US. Also, United Kingdom ministries information can be found through books on the British government and travel guides. Search out books that discuss doing business in Britain, too.