BUSINESS confidence is at its highest since 2016 as covid restrictions begin to lift, according to Aldermore.
The bank reported that on average, small- to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) plan to spend nearly £100,000 growing their firms in the next year.
And it said businesses are more confident than they have ever been over the five years, with two-thirds expecting their performance to improve over the next two months.
Tim Boag, group managing director of business finance at Aldermore, said: “Confidence from SMEs is growing, and this is reflected in plans to invest in the growth of their businesses in order to recover effectively from the pandemic.
“The economy is seeing signs of a recovery and we’re here to back businesses as they look to grasp the opportunities of the future.”
Aldermore reported that one-in-four (25%) SMEs plan to invest in their online presence
in the post-pandemic world, as the economy begins to show signs of recovery.
And one-in-five (20%) will also invest in training staff.
