SMEs confident Brexit will ‘cause no significant disruption’

SMEs are confident Brexit will not cause any significant disruption to their businesses, according to research by CitySprint, the same day delivery company. The survey found that 47 per cent of small business leader ‘anticipate no disruptive impact at all from Brexit.’

Just 14 per cent were concerned that Brexit would impact them significantly.

The research found that, on average, most surveyed wanted a ‘six month breather’ before Brexit negotiations start. A fifth wanted the exit process to begin now.

68 per cent felt as confident, or more confident about their business than a year ago – a 16 per cent fall from when CitySprint asked the same question back in October last year. The company said that this ‘still means more than two thirds of SME leaders have not had their confidence knocked by the economic slowdown reported following the referendum result.’

Patrick Gallagher, chief executive of CitySprint, said: “It’s fantastic to see that the UK’s SMEs remain upbeat and ready to tackle whatever lies ahead. We know that they are resilient, having weathered the economic ups and downs over recent years, but business leaders must not become blasé about the future. As a business leader myself, I have been working closely with my leadership team to prepare for every likely eventuality.”

London figures

But, according to the same day delivery company, London demonstrates a ‘different story to the rest of the country’ – with 26 per cent of small businesses worried Brexit will significantly impact their operations. 51 per cent of London’s small businesses feel less confident about the future than it did a year ago.