British businesses have at least £498bn tied up in excess working capital, which could be used to boost cashflow and growth. A combination of revenue growth, which increases the amount of money tied up in unpaid invoices, and firms strategically building up their inventories ahead of anticipated price hikes, have increased pressure on businesses to have more working capital.

A general election period brings uncertainty but can also be good for businesses. While there are naturally concerns that things can slow down in the run up to a vote, it is also a chance for entrepreneurs and business leaders to have their voices heard.

So, France's National Front leader Marine Le Pen and newcomer Emmanuel Macron will fight it out to become the new president. They've both made it to the second round of voting - a week on Sunday. Mr Macron is 39-and only decided to form his own party last year. So what happens after the first vote?

UK consumer confidence fell by one percentage point in the first quarter of 2017, according to the latest Consumer Tracker report from Deloitte. So, what's contributing to the negative movements in consumer confidence? Joining Nigel Cassidy was Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte to discuss further...

Facebook says it is working on technology to allow us to control computers directly with our brains. It is developing “silent speech” software to allow people to type at a rate of 100 words per minute, it says. The project, in its early stages, will require new technology to detect brainwaves without needing invasive surgery.

Chris Justham, Relationship Manager at Seven Investment Management, discusses all things politics and markets. Chris discussed a range of topics, from the French Presidential Elections, to Brexit and the impact it will have on big companies.

The ONS has released their latest retail sales figures today. So what are they telling us? What do they mean for retailers? Joining Nigel Cassidy is David Jinks, ParcelHero's Head of Consumer Research to discuss further.

Now the company 'geo', a developer of smarter home energy products and services for consumers has today announced they are the winners of the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category of Innovation, they will accept the award at a reception at the Palace later in the year.

How does a British electronics manufacturer and exporter cope with the supposed uncertainty surrounding Brexit? Acal supply components to over 20,000 industrial manufacturers. Their latest trading update suggests they're not too worried abut Brexit - final quarter revenue was up 15% on last year, with exchange rate fluctuations not taken into account. So whats their secret?

According to Halifax's latest housing market confidence tracker, confidence in the UK housing market has stabilised following a record decline. However, the uncertainty created by a general election has traditionally put a dampener on the housing market, so after Theresa May's snap election, could the stability be short-lived?