Your local authority delivers a range of day-to-day services that your business is likely to use or may encounter, as the Business Gateway guide to local authority services sets out.

You pay your business rates to your local council, for example, and if you need a licence, you will probably apply to your local council for it. Your local council may collect commercial waste for a fee and deals with planning permission and building regulations. Local authorities also enforce some aspects of trading standards and health and safety law, including food safety, and many local councils provide business support services.

Read the free Business Gateway guide for an overview of these services:

• collection of business rates
• business support and economic development
• planning and building regulations
• licensing and registration services
• trading standards services
• health and safety services
• environmental services
• food safety services

Yes, if you are thinking about starting, or already run, a business in Scotland.

This is a free and impartial service.

Any business based in Scotland, at any stage in its life cycle.

This guide to local authority services is a 7-minute read.

Local authorities can inspect business premises to investigate possible breaches of the law, for example, health and safety law or trading standards law. They also conduct routine food safety inspections of relevant businesses.

Visit the Business Gateway website for more information on local authority services.