brexit optimism

UK Economy Given Vote Of Confidence Less Than A Week Before General Election

UK Economy Given Vote Of Confidence Less Than A Week Before General Election

Shane Donnelly June 2, 2017 News

With less than one week before the general election, the UK’s economic outlook remains robust – according to a report by Dun & Bradstreet. Its UK Quarterly Industry Report has revealed that Eurostat’s Industrial Confidence Indicator stood at 9.1 in Q1 2017 – the highest level since Q2 2014. While the pound’s value experienced a modest increase after the announcement of the snap election, its value is still significantly down on pre-EU referendum levels. However, its suggested that British exporters have actually benefited from a weakened pound as foreign buyers now preserve UK products to be good value for money, with this trend expected to continue until Brexit has officially happens. Despite some positives for businesses, consumer confidence remains flat, coming in at -4.3 in March s... »

Businesses Believe They’ll Weather The Storm, With 91% Confident They’ll Survive The Next 12 Months

Businesses Believe They’ll Weather The Storm, With 91% Confident They’ll Survive The Next 12 Months

Shane Donnelly April 20, 2017 News

UK small business owners are confident they’ll ‘weather the storm’ of economic and political uncertainty, with 91% believing they’ll survive the next 12 months The survey by FreeAgent of 701 firms with fewer than 10 employees, has revealed that while 50% believe the economy will worsen over the next six months – just 3% are planning on downsizing their business. Despite increased unpredictability with the triggering of Article 50 and announcement of a snap election, a mere 1% of respondents believe their business will have failed by this time next year. Taking a more optimistic approach, 10% of those surveyed believe the economy will actually improve in 2017 – while 28% believe it will remain largely the same. Seemingly bullish about Brexit, 64% of small business owners even want to expand... »

Triggering Of Article 50 Won’t Stop Consumers Buying Premium Goods

Triggering Of Article 50 Won’t Stop Consumers Buying Premium Goods

Shane Donnelly March 21, 2017 News

The triggering of Article 50 next week is unlikely to deter consumers from buying premium brands over the next two years, a new report has revealed. A survey from the Centre for Retail Research and Rakuten Marketing, which interviewed 1,000 UK consumers, has discovered that although consumer prices are rising at an annual rate of more than 3% – few shoppers have any intention of changing their spending habits. Just 6% of respondents claim they’d flat out refuse to buy an item if faced with a price increase of 10%, with 62% saying they’d purchase their favourite premium brand regardless. A tipping point does exist, however, as a 15% price would cause 21% of shoppers to switch to a cheaper competitor. An important consideration for ecommerce businesses, 57% of online buyers are not pre... »

Business Owners More Worried About Europe Than Britain Post-Brexit

Business Owners More Worried About Europe Than Britain Post-Brexit

Shane Donnelly February 22, 2017 News

UK small business owners are more worried about the future of the European market than the domestic one, according to a new report by Idinvest Partners. The survey of 1,500 people revealed that 57% would describe themselves as “optimistic” when thinking about the UK economy over the next 12 months, with respondents 10% more concerned about Europe’s performance in the same period. Just 59% said they were pessimistic about the country’s future economic performance and a potential rise in inflation. With Article 50 set to be triggered next month, access to the single market (30%), raising finance (29%), and red tape (23%) were signalled as being the main causes of concern – with 47% saying that personal savings will be their most likely source of funding raising. Christophe Bavière, CEO and B... »

Businesses Praying For ‘Soft Brexit’ As Faith In Government Weakens

Businesses Praying For ‘Soft Brexit’ As Faith In Government Weakens

Shane Donnelly November 21, 2016 News

UK small businesses are dreaming of a ‘soft Brexit’, as just 29% have confidence in the government’s ability to protect them after Article 50 is triggered – according to a report by CitySprint. The survey of 1,001 enterprise owners revealed that 79% feel they haven’t received enough information about the potential business impact of Britain officially leaving the EU, with 50% hoping the UK retains access to the single market in return for some concessions to the EU. Just 35% of respondents have said they support a ‘hard Brexit’ which would potentially mean the UK giving up access to the single market, while 15% said they were unsure which option they preferred. When asked what support measures they’d like the government to implement, 49% said slashed taxes, 36% said they’d like... »

Business Owners More Upbeat About Brexit

Business Owners More Upbeat About Brexit

Shane Donnelly October 25, 2016 News

UK small business owners are more upbeat about Brexit than they were before the referendum, according to a report by Opinium. The survey of 500 senior decision makers in the small enterprise landscape revealed that 52% of respondents believed that share prices would fall in the wake of June’s surprise result, but this figure has since decreased to just 39%, suggesting business owners are now less pessimistic about the future. In May, 28% of those surveyed believed a potential Brexit would result in an economic recession, but this figure has also fallen to just 18%. However, 45% are of the opinion there will be a slowdown in economic growth, even if this won’t lead to a full-on recession. Oct 2016 May 2016   Rise Fall Rise Fall Share prices 29% 39% 16% 52% Economic growth 31% 37%... »