SMEs show marked rise in confidence since April

UK200Group, comprising 600 legal and accountancy partners across the UK, surveyed over 400 SMEs in a variety of sectors at the end of March and the end of June.

Only 13% are concerned about survival, compared with 29% in April. 33% now think the situation is ‘pretty much as normal’, up from 16% April and 15% say the situation is better than it would have without the crisis compared with only 1.5% in April.

48% of SMEs have ‘written this year off’ but think they will survive, down from 53% in April.

Andrew Jackson, head of corporate tax at Fiander Tovell and chair of the UK200 Group Tax Panel, commented: “While many, but not all, have benefitted from furlough payments and grants of between £10,000 and £25,000, the unfortunate truth is that that SMEs are caught in the eye of the hurricane.

“Large scale redundancies are only now hitting the headlines. Come the autumn, the effect of widespread unemployment across every sector will, we predict, show this self confidence to have been a false dawn.

“SMEs must use this period to prepare, to get to grips with their debt financing and cashflow. Hard decisions about staff numbers must be taken,and MDs should factor in the knock on effects of continued Covid 19 disruption and further lockdowns and the possibility that a no deal Brexit at the same time. We are working hard with SMEs and the government to use this time to find ways to make sure that as many businesses as possible can come out of the crisis is as good as shape as possible.”