Category, Growth

Whatever the Chancellor announces in the budget, one of the biggest challenges for the UK economy is growth, and for business that often means productivity. In recent years, UK business has had to deal with many challenges related to a series of significant socio-economic events impacting costs, productivity and growth. In a turbulent and uncertain market, how can small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) not only survive, but also thrive?

According to a survey published recently, a clear majority of business founders believe that the UK is still a relatively easy place to launch a business, but only 13% of respondents think it is an easy place to scale.

For many small business owners, selling their company may not be top of mind in the early days. The focus tends to be on survival, then sustainability, and eventually growth. But those who build with the end in mind from the earliest stages, position themselves to create businesses that are not only successful, but also valuable, transferable assets when the time comes to exit.

The Southwest has always been a region full of creativity, resilience and ambition. From its rugged coastlines and rural heartlands to its thriving towns and cities, it is a place where enterprise takes many forms — family-owned firms passed down through generations, innovative start-ups making their mark, growing companies eager to explore new horizons, and large companies leading the world in aerospace engineering and nuclear power generation.

At the end of July, the UK Government released ‘Backing your Business: Our Plan for Small and Medium Sized Business’. Key to this plan is the understanding that SMEs are the UK economy’s “engine room” and that “accelerating SME growth by just 1% a year could deliver £320 billion to the UK economy by 2030”.

Sustainable practices are not just about the environment, they make good business sense too, especially if you are thinking about the value of your business in preparation for your exit.

In the fast-moving world of UK SMEs, standing still is no longer a safe option. The business environment is changing too quickly — whether it’s customer expectations, technology, regulation, or supply chain dynamics. If you’re not actively growing your business, chances are you’re unintentionally slowing it down.

No matter how successful your business is today, change is inevitable. Businesses grow, stall, change direction, or sometimes fail—not just because of external forces, but often because of internal transitions they are unprepared for. Understanding these transitions is crucial to long-term success.