Member Article

Thames Valley businesses show promise

The majority of Thames Valley businesses have increased their new business pipelines in the last three months.

The BDO Thames Valley Business Barometer shows that 64% of businesses have improved their pipelines, and more than half witnessed an increase in turnover in the last quarter.

61% predict further growth in the next quarter, rising to 67% for SMEs within the sample.

The Business Barometer surveyed more than 120 business leaders in the Thames Valley, and found that companies are still feeling some pressure from economic conditions.

Profits were up for 47% of respondents, but despite optimistic order books and outputs, approximately half report no overall improvement in general economic conditions.

Investment intentions were promising as almost half are looking to increase marketing spend in the next three months and a third have invested in training and development technology.

However, just one in ten say the availability of finance has become easier in the last quarter.

Julian Frost, Partner and Head of BDO in the Thames Valley, said: “The Thames Valley is bucking the trend in terms of growth, business performance and investment.

“It has been a solid quarter of financial progress; one that will be welcomed by businesses across the region.

“It is understandable that cautious optimism prevails, particularly with the ongoing turbulence in the eurozone, but companies seem to be on a much firmer footing and the challenge is now to create a springboard for growth into the next quarter and beyond.”

Paula Elliott, Managing Director, C8 Consulting, added: “The Thames Valley Business Barometer provides a compelling street-level view of business sentiment, helping to inform decisions on growth, investment and employment in the region.

“There are some fantastic stories of strong growth, particularly within the mid-market, demonstrating the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of our region’s businesses.”

BDO’s Julian Frost concludes: “Our second Barometer will re-open on 1st July 2012 for one month and we encourage all companies in the region to get involved.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .