For administrative requirements, go to the body that sets the rule. Check who published the page, the date, and whether it covers your type of business.
This lesson is part of entrepreneurship and business preparation. It completes the preparation steps after planning basic operations and marketing.
How do I check a source?
Ask four questions about any page or post.
- Who publishes it? A government agency, a local council or a company?
- When was it written or updated?
- Does it cover my business type and place?
- What must I still confirm with the body?
If you cannot answer the first two, treat the page as a pointer only.
Worked example: Nurul’s question
Nurul asks, “Does my weekend market stall need any registration or permit?” She finds three sources.
| Source | Who publishes | What she does with it |
|---|---|---|
| A video titled “Start a stall in five steps” | an individual creator, no date | a pointer only, since it gives no source and covers one place |
| A post in a parents’ group | a parent, no source given | a pointer only, because it may describe another council |
| The local council’s own page for stalls and permits | the local council | the reliable source, read for her area and business type |
The council page is the one to use, because the council sets the local rule. Nurul writes in her plan: “Requirements checked on the local council page on [date]. Registration and permit details to be confirmed with the council.”
She does not copy figures or fees from the video, since she cannot confirm them. The note shows the source, the date and what is still open.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to state a requirement as fact from a social media post. The claim may be wrong for another area, and nobody can verify it.
| Step | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Source | a parent’s post | the local council’s page |
| Claim | “No permit is needed” | “Permit requirements are to be confirmed with the council” |
| Date | none | date of the check noted |
| Status | stated as certain | open until confirmed |
A note that says what is still to be confirmed is stronger than a confident guess.
Check yourself
A student plans to sell cooked food at a school event. A friend says no approval is needed. Which source should the student check, and what should the plan say if the page is unclear?
Answer
The student should check the school’s own rules and the official pages of the body that covers food businesses in that area, such as the local council and the relevant ministry. A friend’s comment is only a pointer.
If the page is unclear, the plan should say: “Food approval requirements must be confirmed with the named body, checked on [date].” It should not state a rule that cannot be confirmed.
What to study next
Test all four lessons in the practice set. If you want to revisit what a business needs, read identifying resources needed to start a fictional business.
The business case answer planner can hold a place for source notes in your plan. For a teacher to go through source checking with you, see online one-to-one Business tuition.