Businesses optimistic for 2025

Most businesses are optimistic about their prospects for 2025, with new surveys indicating plans for growth despite lingering economic challenges. According to Lloyds Bank’s monthly survey of 1,200 businesses revealed that about 70% expect their turnover to rise in the coming year, an increase from 62% recorded in December 2023. Additionally, 73% of respondents expressed…

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SME optimism rises for the third year in a row

Optimism among UK SMEs has grown for a third consecutive year, according to a poll by American Express. The survey saw found that seven in ten SMEs say they feel confident about the future of their company, up from 67% in 2023 and 65% in 2022.  The poll also found that almost three quarters say…

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Three in four SME brokers optimistic about the future of small businesses

Three in four (73%) SME finance brokers feel optimistic about the future of small businesses, according to SME lender iwoca’s latest Q2 2024 SME Expert Index. The survey of SME brokers reveals a tentatively bullish outlook for the UK’s 5.5m SMEs, as optimism among brokers is up 3pp compared to Q1 2024, and 6pp compared…

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Business leader optimism increases

Optimism among senior executives at some of Britain’s biggest businesses has increased after Labour’s landslide general election, according to Deloitte’s latest survey of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs). The study shows that risk appetite is up, fears about uncertainty have retreated sharply, and revenue growth predictions are rising. The survey found that a net 23% of…

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Business leader optimism hits four-month low

The Institute of Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism in prospects for the UK economy has shown a drop in optimism -14 in June 2024 from -3 in May. The analysis showed notable drops in business leaders’ investment intentions, which fell to +19 in June from +30 in May. Furthermore, headcount expectations…

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Eight in ten businesses remain optimistic despite supply chain disruptions

Despite entering another year already defined by economic uncertainty, supply chain disruption and geopolitical tensions, Taulia’s global Supplier Sentiment Survey found that businesses are largely optimistic about the year ahead. The survey finds that more than eight in 10 (85%) businesses globally are feeling optimistic about the year ahead; a significant increase from 2022 when…

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Small business optimism grows

Optimism among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is at its highest level in almost two years, driven by a rise in output in December, according to a survey compiled by NatWest. However, the survey reveals a divide in the trading performance of services, manufacturing, and construction businesses. Services-based companies outperformed their larger peers, while manufacturers…

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Over a third of small business owners predict growth

Over a third (37%) of small business owners predict growth for the next three months, the highest figure since the pandemic started more than two-years ago. The new quarterly data from Novuna Business Finance also reveals that the percentage of small businesses predicting contraction has also hit a two-year low (falling to just 7%). Despite…

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Three quarters of SMEs expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of profitability

Research by Sage shows that more than three-quarters of SMEs expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of profitability in the next 12 months. The poll by the accounting and payroll technology provider also found that two in five smaller businesses expected to hire more people in 2022, with half of those planning to increase their…

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Omicron curtails optimism with businesses approaching the new year with caution

Business optimism and output growth across the UK fell in December, reflecting a cooling in economic activity as firms grapple with the effects of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, according to the latest Business Trends report from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO, The BDO Optimism Index slipped by 0.46 points to 103.81, driven largely by the…

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