By Anna Jordan on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
More than half (54 per cent) of UK SMEs have already met or exceeded pandemic turnover levels.
One in five (22 per cent) have already exceeded pre-Covid levels while 31 per cent predict they’ll match pre-Covid figures soon. Only one in seven still deem their path to recovery ‘uncertain’.
The study from Paragon Bank also shows that nine in ten businesses feel positive about Covid recovery. This positive sentiment is especially high among SMEs, up from 86 per cent in September to 92 per cent at the end of May.
Companies with fewer than 100 employees expected the fastest rate of recovery, with 64 per cent reporting turnover matching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels, compared to 47 per cent of larger SMEs (100-249 employees).
The survey revealed that 58 per cent of SMEs experienced cash flow difficulties during the pandemic, making it the most common challenge for UK businesses. Loss of profit was the second most common challenge, faced by 53 per cent of SMEs, followed by late payments, which affected one in three (34 per cent).
>See also: How to deal with late payment
Levels of cash reserve remain a