Hello.
Quick query re who you bank with for your Folksy business. I’m currently with Santander (business account) but they’ve now started charging a monthly fee (having previously been free).
Any recommendations for free banking account for small businesses gratefully appreciated.
Thank you,
Heather
Mettle from Natwest, I’ve heard good things about Tide too, but don’t know them myself.
I’ll check them out - thank you!
Lloyds. Have had personal accounts with them for about 50 years. As knew the staff in Grayshott a no brainer to use them.
Heard Starling are very good as well.
Yes, I’ve been looking at Starling. Will also consider Lloyd’s. Thank you!
(And have just realised you’re not far from me in Hampshire).
Yes only about 14 miles away, I take my machines to the Stitch Doctor they have moved from Lavant St to Station Rd.
Yes - I do too. 
I have used Tide in the past and would highly recommend 
I know they advise us to… but does everyone use a separate bank account for business? I have two businesses (gardening and this), and I just use my personal account and tag all business-related transactions so they’re easy to bring up. I looked at business accounts when I started the gardening in 2022, but most of the ones I saw had a charge, so I just did it this way. It works well enough for me, although as far as businesses go mine are as small as you can possibly get.
I started my business in the 80’s when the government were running the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, the advice we were given then was to open a second current account to keep just for business,(probably for their ease of checking up on us) so that’s what I did with the Nat West. Over the years they have periodically called me in to try to get me to swap to their business account, but as none of the benefits were of interest and there were charges I have stuck with the no2 current account.
As most of my money comes in to PayPal , Stripe or Square and gets transferred as lumps, the current account really doesn’t have to deal with much.
Sole traders are allowed to use a personal bank account, they don’t have to have a business one but I would recommend having a separate account for the business away from your personal expenses and income as Deborah says.
I actually have an old second current account sitting there unused, that I used to use as a savings account. It never occurred to me I could just use that one. I’ve just ordered a debit card to go with it, and that’ll do nicely 
I’ve never had a separate account. I have a separate PayPal account and I have 2 credit cards - one I use for personal and the other for business, so simple enough to see business transactions for the tax return.