7 in 10 SMEs defy geo-political market uncertainty
Seven in 10 small businesses (71%) are working on new initiatives to achieve business growth in the spring months – a rise on the previous 12-months – according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.
Following 2025 starting with a dip in the percentage of UK small businesses predicting growth, the latest findings suggest a solid resilience among business owners to move forward. These positive resolutions defy the challenging context – namely, the seismic geo-political uncertainty and the risk of the US imposing tariffs on the UK and EU markets in the coming weeks.
The research, which forms part of the decade-long Business Barometer tracking study, asked a representative sample of 1,315 small business owners if and what they were currently working on in order to try and achieve business growth in the next three months.
Whilst small businesses in London drove the determined growth agenda, the upturn in small business owners investing in future growth projects was evident across seven UK regions – including The West Midlands, the North West, Humberside, Scotland and the South East. Further, nine industry sectors also saw an increase in the percentage of enterprises investing in new projects to deliver future growth. The most pronounced rises were in media & marketing, leisure and hospitality, real estate, legal services and transport.
The most common projects that small businesses were working on to boost growth prospects over the spring months included:
· Keeping fixed costs down 55%
· Improving cash flow 33%
· Being stricter getting paid on time 26%
· Expanding into new markets / overseas 23%
· Investing in new equipment 19%
· Reassessing finance/funding commitments 15%
Joanna Morris, head of insight at Novuna Business Finance Comments: “Having reported a fall in the percentage of small businesses that predicted growth at the start of the year, it is positive that so many are investing in new projects to drive future growth over the spring and summer months. This is especially impressive given the international tensions that inevitably usher in a period of volatility and market uncertainty – and impact everyone’s supply chain.”