Public contacts have been shown in a negative light in recent history following the demise of construction firm Carillion, but they can still be a great way to scale your business. The government spends billions to hire business large and small in the private sector to deliver a multitude of goods and services - like the construction of council housing for example and the collection of refuse. 

At their simplest, business accounts simply offer a cheque and paying-in book. But many offer addition perks carrot like interest-free in credit balance or 18 months free banking, to secure your custom. This is Money lists five of the best business accounts. Here's how they compare.

Whether you are a sole trader, a start up or a more established business, if you have any extra cash it’s worth making the most of it by tucking it away in a decent savings account. Here’s everything you need to know about opening an account, picking the best deals and maximising your interest.

Good business acumen and know-how are among the core skills required to run a successful company, but sometimes sheer luck is needed to take it to the next level. Case in point is the experience of children's clothing brand Pepa & Co which rose to prominence after emerging as a favourite outfitter by Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge for Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Business cash advances have emerged as a popular funding avenue for small business owners - particularly those who have been denied a bank loan. The main advantage of these products is that very little oversight is required once they are set up and the total cost of the arrangement is agreed from the outset. But they shouldn't be considered a silver bullet for poorly funded firms. We take a closer look.

Freezing weather is ‘good for business’, multi-millionaire plumber Charlie Mullins said this weekend after receiving a £3.8 million dividend. The founder of London-based Pimlico Plumbers told The Mail on Sunday the snow is a ‘great boost’ because of all the frozen pipes that need fixing.

Notonthehighstreet.com is the biggest online gifting marketplace in the UK, with more than 39 million unique visitors annually. With so many potential customers, it's easy to understand the site's appeal for the 6,000 creative small businesses who pay to trade on the platform. Here's everything you need to know about selling on the site - and how to boost your sales.

Every year, thousands miss the self-assessment deadline. HRMC has revealed the most bizarre, if not imaginative, excuses given by those who failed to file their tax returns on time, including one who claimed his wife had a run-in with some extra terrestrials.

A loyal seller on online retail giant Amazon has had his account shut down without a concrete explanation, despite being using the website successfully since 2003. Dr Colin Beckley, from Marlow, Buckinghamshire, has had a store on Amazon specialising in academic books under the moniker CM Book-Stop for 14 years, along with his wife Maryam. One day last year their account was suddenly shut down.

They are agile, tech-savvy and making the best of being British. The country’s new breed of exporters has discovered you do not need decades of international experience to set up successful global businesses. New figures show that growing numbers of individuals are making a living by selling goods all over the world thanks to technological advances, the internet and reliable delivery networks. Trevor Ginn set up Hello Baby Direct ten years ago, and now makes 55 per cent of his sales overseas.

After his last Budget backfired, Chancellor Philip Hammond has gone all out to woo Britain's small and medium-sized business in the Autumn Budget. Last March's Budget was seen as an attack on small firms and the self-employed, so today was chance to win them back over. We look at what happened.

For all you budding entrepreneurs out there, the good news is that it has never been easier and cheaper to start a business in the UK. And it’s far better to bootstrap your business than have to give it the boot because you run out of cash. So here are some golden tips money-savvy, and money-starved, entrepreneurs can’t afford to ignore.

If you are your own boss you can offset the entire cost of the new iPhone against your tax bill. And what's more, you could save on the cost of holidays, meals out and even school fees too. Our expert explains how they can all be used to reduce what you owe the taxman.

There’s an old line that says most people think they have a book in them. I suspect what’s equally true is that most people believe they have a business in them too. What links those who get started is that they didn't just have a bright idea but they then decided to follow it through. And that’s the tough bit, which is why we've launched our Great British Entrepreneur Challenge.

I run a small digital marketing business and a couple of my regular clients have asked if they can pay their invoices in bitcoin. I want to keep them happy but I am worried about how safe bitcoins are - and whether this is even legal? What would my bank and HMRC think of me taking payments this way, and is it likely to be worth the hassle?

Valente, who won the BBC series of The Apprentice in 2015, says he was given only £2,000 to go on the 14-week show. He had to shut down a call centre business he had set up in order to take part, costing him £10,000. Valente says it was worth it, though, and believes he will be a billionaire like his mentor Lord Sugar by the time he is 50.

While nothing is yet set in stone it is understood tougher measures are in the pipeline that will subject EU citizens to the same migration checks as people from elsewhere in the world. This could make it much harder for key industries to find talent and fill vacancies.

The measure, effective from August 1, follows a restructuring by eBay resulting in UK customers no longer contracting with its Luxembourg entity, eBay Europe, but with eBay (UK) Limited.

Of the 1,016 UK SMEs surveyed during the second quarter of 2017 in international payments business World First's quarterly Global Trade Barometer, only 30 per cent currently export, against 52 per cent in the same period in 2016.

Shaving clubs are the latest simple but disruptive innovation thought up by our American cousins that could revolutionise how we do everyday things in the UK. Harry's is the latest to arrive in Britain, with a major advertising campaign launched. This is Money caught up with founders Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield to find out how they started up the business, grew it and what's next.

University education is all well and good but it's not the sole route to business success. Archie Hewlett., who founded premium footwear business Duke + Dexter at the tender age of 18, proves that. Now aged just 22, he sells his luxury British-made shoes around the world - and they've won celebrity fans, from Tinie Tempah, to Snoop Dogg and Eddie Redmayne.

Mark Selby is the business brains behind Wahaca, one of the UK's most successful restaurant chains. But he had to bring the Mexican-themed brand back from the brink last year after norovirus struck. In all 18 of the 25 restaurants were hit and he had to close 11. The experience changed the way he does business. He has never experienced inflationary pressures like now. And not just from Brexit and sterling's weakness. It's largely down to Government policies.

Small businesses expect practical help and a change of tone and approach from the Government, which has too often viewed them as a problem, in the wake of the Election result. Dr Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, told The Mail on Sunday: 'Up until the Election, a lot of small businesses were doing a good job of ignoring the noise of politics, but I think this becomes a lot harder as the uncertainty is reaching all corners.'

Running a start-up is never easy - even if you have a great idea - just ask Jeffrey Woolf, of Morpher, who created innovative bike helmets that fold flat and easily slip into your bag. But after years of struggle, Morpher has just raised £1m through crowdfunding, attracting 738 investors including British tennis ace Andy Murray. The founder tells us how he started his business.

The cut-throat world of razors is worth £25 billion a year, with firms keen to exploit a captive audience forced to spend a small fortune for a close shave. But there are ways to save - including the rise of shaving clubs. From these new services, to bargain-hunting and swapping to safety razors, we look at what to do.

One of the secrets of Charles Tyrwhitt's success has been its 'four shirts for £100' offer. But now the company's owner and founder Nick Wheeler says he will have to hike that price, most likely to £110, and it is all because of Brexit and the falling value of the pound. It is perhaps surprising then to hear that Wheeler himself voted for Britain to leave the EU in last year's referendum, and what's more he has no regrets. 'I was pretty much on the fence but in the end I voted for Brexit,' he says.

The Government has agreed to soften the blow for small businesses that face a massive hike in business rates next month. The biggest help is for pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000, which will be offered a £1,000 discount on bills in 2017. We explain what it will do to help, why a row has erupted and what you need to know about business rates.

Business rates are about to change, affecting millions of SMEs around the country. Here we look at why the tax is changing, how it will affect you and what you need to do to prepare for it.

Are you tempted by the flexibility and convenience of the gig economy? Here, a solicitor explains how the employment landscape is changing in the UK and what you need to consider before you take a job that pays on a 'gig' basis - and why you need to know the difference between an employee, a worker and being self-employed.

Now January is out of the way and the dust has settled after Christmas and New Year, it is a good time to take a look at what is happening during 2017 - and the impact it could have on small businesses.

Entrepreneurs starting new firms should be given special treatment with a three-year business rates 'holiday', according to a list of demands published by Richard Branson's Virgin StartUp. The organisation, a not-for-profit arm of the Virgin Group, also wants the Government to consider introducing exemptions for firms turning over less than £300,000 a year. Such a scheme would mark a big departure from the current system, by linking the size of a firm's rates bill to its sales, rather than the value of the building it occupies.

Ever looked at the T-shirts on offer and though you could do a better job? You might have an amazing idea but it could crash and burn, leaving you with boxes of T-shirts in the garage. Website Teespring offers aspiring entrepreneurs a way to design T-shirts for free to test out if they will be a hit with customers. The site says it has made 30 millionaires since it launched in 2012.

The biggest victims of the business rate tax hike are the family-run shops facing increases of up to 3,000 per cent. In total, 17 of the 30 shops in the Market Place square in the Hertfordshire town of Hatfield face paying £50,000 more in rates this year and £400,000 more over the next five years.

Some business owners have reported eye-watering rises of more than 300 per cent, taking a £1,000-a-year bill to £4,000. Small business campaign groups are being deluged with calls from panicked business owners like Anna Halliday of London cafes Hally's (pictured), who fear that the tax hikes will wreck their livelihoods.

The UK's love affair with the wellness industry is no longer just for January - and small businesses are getting in on the act. Here, a former city worker and a fire inspection officer reveal why becoming fitness professionals has boosted their bank balance -and their endorphin levels.

Low-cost fitness firm The Gym Group believes it is poised for a Brexit boost as customers turn to cheaper memberships amid uncertainty. The group, which has 89 gyms in the UK and typically charges members £17 a month, said it was expecting an increase in users this year as people ditch expensive memberships for more affordable ones. It added that people hoping to get fit for the New Year would also help boost its performance, after members surged by 19.1 per cent to 448,000 last year. The group's full-year sales were up 22.6 per cent from the year before and net debt was reduced to £5.3million in 2016 from £7.1million. 

January is a time when many people take stock and think about what they want to achieve in the year ahead. Being your own boss has a lot of advantages - if you've you always wanted to set up on your own, here are five tips to help you succeed.

Scorrers aims to connect sports stars, musicians and other celebrities with their fans by giving away prizes and memorabilia in a fair, free and convenient way. Wayne Rooney and Kobe Bryant have already donated through the app, as have FC Barcelona players Gerard Pique and Neymar Jnr.

Active Away, a tennis holiday firm that secured £25,000 backing from Peter Jones on BBC2's Dragons' Den last week, is launching a corporate tennis events arm with fitness and leisure group David Lloyd.

James Cadbury, great-great-great grandson of John Cadbury, founder of the eponymous chocolate business, is aiming to restore his family's legacy after the company was subject to a hostile takeover by Kraft in 2010. His start-up Love Cocoa sends high-quality chocolate through the post and has secured a deal with luxury department store Fortnum & Mason.

If you have been rejected for business funding by your bank, help could be at hand. Under a new government scheme, your bank must refer you to an alternative source of finance. This doesn't guarantee you will get the funding you're after but it does give you a second shot at receiving a cash injection under more flexible terms.

VAT is likely to be one of the major taxes affected by Brexit, because the UK's VAT laws are based on overriding EU legislation. Although the situation is still uncertain, here are some practical steps you can take now to shore up your small business against any changes.

Anyone can be an entrepreneur - whether it is setting up a small business or topping up income with part-time endeavours. We speak to people who have changed their lives for the better by becoming their own boss - and look at the crucial ingredients required to help kick-start a new business.

Finding the best account for your business can be a minefield. But Moneyfacts has done the hard work for you by picking its star business and community accounts. While Co-op Bank and RBS come out on top for business banking, HSBC leads the pack for community accounts.

People don't work forever: retirement, illness or unexpected events can, and do, have a big impact on businesses. An estimated 4.6million UK businesses are family-owned and having a succession plan in place and making sure the younger generation feel involved are crucial to business success.

Emma Jones, the new government's Crown Representative for small and medium sized businesses tells This is Money the main issue she hears from small businesses is that government contracts are difficult to apply for. But this isn't the case, she insists.Here are some tips on how to make the most of what is a £15 billion opportunity to supply to government.

Jamal Edwards has achieved more at the age of 26 than many people can aspire to in a lifetime. After building his own media empire, he shares the advice he gives to young people who want to start their own business - and why he believes it's still possible to break into the music industry without going on reality TV.

Rob and Paul Forkan were on a trip in Sri Lanka when parents, Kevin, 54, and Sandra, 40 died having saved their siblings Matt, 12, and Rosie, nine, from the tsunami that killed 280,000 people. Rob, who was 17, at the time, and Paul, who was 15, wanted to help others as well as rebuild their lives, so started making flip-flops from their flat in Brixton.

If starting a business is something that's on your mind, 2017 could be the best year yet to give it a go, as costs are low and it's perfectly possible to build one in your spare time. Emma Jones, of Enterprise Nation, gives us her five tips for turning an idea into a business.

Many small businesses are struggling to protect themselves from currency fluctuations. Sterling has lost 20 per cent of its value since the referendum vote, taking it at one point to a 31-year low against the US dollar. There's little to celebrate for those with outgoings in euros or US dollars - but there are ways of tipping the balance in your favour, we get some ideas on what they can do from an accounting expert.