The FPB has more than 20 years' experience of accredited research into the small business community. We have been using the Quarterly Survey since 1980 to track business growth, and the rise and fall of key issues, working in partnership with the Small Business Research Trust.

 

Below is an extract from the Executive Summary from the most recent survey, studying performance in the third quarter of 2007.

 

Download the Executive Summary in full (pdf) here.

 

This report, based on a survey of businesses across all the regions of the UK, covers all the major industrial and commercial sectors.

 

It demonstrates contemporary trends in the performance of smaller businesses and adds to existing information gathered by the SBRT over the years.

 

In Q3 2007, 42% of smaller businesses reported growth in sales, 19% growth in employment and 22% higher investment. This is very close to Q2 2007 (sales 43%, employment 17%) and higher than Q1 2007 (sales 35%, employment 12%). Investment growth has remained steady at around 22%.

 

Micro businesses continue to perform less well than small businesses. On balance, small businesses reported higher growth in sales, but employment and investment slowed. Sales and investment growth in micro businesses eased, and employment fell.

 

The net difference between higher and lower sales has fallen from 17% in Q2 to 14% in Q3, as a slightly lower proportion of smaller businesses reported sales up and a higher proportion sales down. Increases in the percentage of smaller businesses reporting higher and lower employment moved the employment balance slightly higher, to 2% (from 1.7%), whilst the investment balance slipped to 7% (from 9%).

 

 

Taxation (including National Insurance) was selected by 74% of owner-managers as a barrier to growth, followed by employment regulations (63%) and business rates (59%).

 

The top three key priorities for businesses were taxation (20%), employment regulations (15%) and business rates (11%).

 

Female-led businesses have seen lower growth in Q3. 42% reported higher sales, and 38% lower sales; a net balance of 4%, from 9% in Q2.