For businesses: briefing and buying services
Buying a service as a business is different from hiring a tradesperson at home. Contracts run for months or years, the supplier may handle your customers' data, and a poor choice shows up in downtime, fines or lost orders rather than a bad paint job. This section collects our guides for companies commissioning software, IT support, marketing, logistics, facilities, staffing and equipment in the UK.
Articles
- The Agency Workers Regulations for hirersWhat a business hiring temporary agency staff must provide from day one, how the qualifying period is counted, and what changes after it.Read more
- Cyber Essentials for public contractsWhen government buyers ask for Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, the five controls, how certification works and the expected cost.Read more
- Data processing contracts with suppliersWhen a software house, IT provider or agency processes personal data for you, UK GDPR requires a written contract. What it must contain and what to check.Read more
- Goods vehicle operator licencesWhen a business needs a goods vehicle operator's licence, restricted versus standard national and international, and what a haulier must hold.Read more
Write the brief before you ask for prices
Suppliers price what they understand. A one-page brief that states the problem, what exists today, what must be true when the work is done, the deadline and who decides on your side gets you proposals you can compare. 'We need a new website' or 'we need someone for IT' gets you a sales call.
State what you will provide, such as access, content, data, a named contact, and what you expect the supplier to provide. Much of the friction in B2B projects comes from assumptions neither side wrote down.
Compliance that follows the contract
If a supplier handles personal data for you, UK GDPR requires a written contract that sets out how it processes that data. Agencies placing staff are governed by the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct Regulations. Hauliers need an operator's licence, lifting equipment falls under LOLER, and security staff need SIA licences. The trade pages explain which rules apply where and what to ask a supplier to show you.
Topics this section covers
- Software development, web design, ERP and CRM
- Managed IT services and cyber security
- SEO, online advertising, video production and signage
- Freight transport, warehousing, fulfilment and couriers
- CNC machining, steel buildings and forklift trucks
- Commercial cleaning, caretaking and security services
- Office relocation and office furniture
- Recruitment, international recruitment and temporary staffing
- Translation, catering, photography and event production
Asking for a proposal through Offrano
Each service page has a request form built for business buyers. Your request goes to exactly one supplier that buys it; the service is free for you, and we email you the supplier's name, address and phone number before it sees your details. Offrano checks that buyers are registered businesses, but not their references or work, so ask for both before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
Why does only one supplier receive my request?
Because the request is sold exclusively. A supplier that knows it is not in a race with five others can spend time understanding your needs. You remain free to talk to other suppliers yourself.
Can I submit a request on behalf of my company?
Yes. The form asks for the company name. You should only submit your own contact details or those of a colleague who has asked you to.
What should a proposal include?
The scope and what is excluded, deliverables and acceptance criteria, the pricing model, payment terms, the contract term and notice period, who owns the results, how data is handled and what happens if the relationship ends.
Does Offrano take a commission on the contract?
No. The supplier pays Offrano once for the request. Offrano is not a party to your contract and does not receive a share of it.