Wilson Partners survey sees SME confidence in South East returning
Small business confidence looks to be increasing in the south east with 58% of respondents in a recent survey forecasting an increase in profits this year.
The biannual business report of SMEs in the south east from accounting, tax and corporate finance firm Wilson Partners and has become a useful barometer for sentiment among small firms since the beginning of the pandemic.
READ MORE: South West small businesses least confident in country, says report
"We started running our biannual survey in mid-2020 as the pandemic took hold and was having a tangible impact on our clients," said Allan Wilson, managing director at Wilson Partners.
"We wanted the business community to come together and share their experiences, providing a good benchmark.
"The latest survey demonstrates the continued resilience of businesses in the South East, even though it’s never rosy for everyone, there’s evidence that those willing to take measured risks and keep close their numbers and their customers are still able to see strong growth," he added.
The confidence barometer which gauges levels on a scale of 0 to 100 came in at 68, with 52% of businesses reporting that planned salary increases have dropped back to more normal levels of 0% to 5% although 29% of businesses still forecast increases of 5% to 10%.
Award-winning Wilson Partners has clients, which include SMEs, private individuals and investment houses across London and the South East.
With offices in Maidenhead, Cambridge and Sevenoaks, the firm is one of the fastest growing accounting firms in the region and recently recognised as an ‘outstanding’ place to work by The Best Companies.
The survey can be accessed HERE.
