Posted on: 06/03/2018
The Autumn Exemplas Index is the first in a series of research reports which will monitor trends in SMEs and the impact of external and economic factors on the SME community. This particular report focuses on the period from May-July 2015.
The aim of this report is to gain insight and understanding of the Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) community on a number of key issues including experience and preferences regarding use of business support, specific issues and challenges affecting SMEs in a number of commonly reported areas, as well as providing a snapshot of the confidence and aspirations and state of SMEs at a given time.
The key findings show a small business population who are optimistic about their potential to grow in spite of a number of perceived challenges and barriers to growth. This is positive news for the UK economy. The survey found that growing businesses are more likely to access business support. According to existing research, businesses who access business support and advice services are more likely to succeed. However, the survey identifies several perceived issues among some SME respondents with the current business support landscape and suggests that more could be done to effectively meet the support needs of small and growing businesses.