Kate Hardcastle – Small businesses ‘ready’ for the end of lockdown

New figures released today ahead of next week’s Government pandemic roadmap suggest that small and medium sized businesses are rallying for 2021, with 32 per cent saying they are prepared for the end of lockdown.

The figures from Barclaycard Payments SME Barometer indicate that SMEs predict an 8.1 per cent rise in revenue in 2021, and nearly four in ten (39 per cent) say they are optimistic about their prospects. Four in 10 SMEs think that this current lockdown will be the last strict or national one, and a quarter are reporting that their output has already surpassed, or returned to, pre-pandemic levels. 

However, there is still apprehension when it comes to restrictions that affect businesses in some way with only 27 per cent thinking restrictions that impact them will end by April, rising to 49 per cent by June.

Ros spoke to Kate Hardcastle MBE: