Ask James Caan: With more than 75,000 registered non-profit organisations in the UK, it’s hard to choose from so many amazing causes. But most effective ones apply the same commercial rigour and metrics to ensure their donations and income help as many people as possible. This means I focus on the financials, return and sustainability of an organisation.

Spencer-Percival is what you might call a bit of an eccentric. The 42-year old owns a forest, has funded the RAF’s first table tennis academy and has full-size punch bags throughout the offices of his fledgling business — as well as roulette wheels where staff can win random bonuses.

All good things come to those who wait: while the introduction of real-time information (RTI) seems inevitably destined to prompt one of those IT meltdowns for which our public sector is so renowned, there are plenty of reasons why businesses should welcome the overhaul.

Almost exactly a year ago today, George Osborne arrived at the Federation of Small Businesses annual dinner with an inspiring message. "I know that with the energy, creativity, innovation and courage of Britain's small businesses we can take on the forces of stagnation and win," the Chancellor of the Exchequer told his audience, inviting small and medium-sized enterprises to take the lead in driving economic recovery.

From the humble beginning of a rent-free attic, Michael Acton Smith's Moshi Monsters business Mindy Candy is now valued at £200 million. Now the entrepreneur has agreed to reveal how he built his business and conquered the online world

Edward Saatchi talks social. Described as the British Mark Zuckerberg, Edward Saatchi has packed a lot into his 26 years. Whilst still a student, the son of advertising tycoon Maurice flew to the US to help Barack Obama with his first presidential campaign.

According to recent data from the Bank of England, lending to companies went down 3.5% compared to a year ago while lending to individuals rose by £1.4 billion in March. When I started borro, I never imagined that four years down the line, personal asset lending would be filling this lending gap. Over 60 per cent of our customers are small business owners, self-employed and entrepreneurs - just like me.

Jonny Goldstone shares his experience of starting his business, greentomatocars, which he founded in 2006 “to show there could be a quality, green alternative to Addison Lee in London. “

Small Talk: No one said coalition government would be easy, but the tensions between the Conservatives and their Liberal Democrat partners over green energy policy are mounting by the day.

Small business agony uncle James Caan on how to get the best packaging deal

Small Talk: Are interest-rate swaps going to be the next major banking scandal? All the high street banks, already battling claims that their refusal to lend to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is jeopardising the country's economic recovery, stand accused of mis-selling complex derivative products to firms worried about their borrowing costs.

Small talk: £25m is small beer. But every little helps and the innovation is to be applauded

One thing that would definitely help Britain's small and medium-sized enterprises grow into large companies one day is more business from a customer that spends £236bn a year procuring good and services

In an economy where the Government talks loud and long about how it wants small companies to power the recovery, what precisely does it mean by small?

David Prosser looks at the challenges and opportunities for small businesses today