SME Manufacturers urged to have their say: SWMAS Q4 2022 Barometer

The largest quarterly survey of small and medium-sized manufacturers in the UK – run by SWMAS – has opened for responses (03/04/2023). The national survey covers a range of topics including the current and future conditions of the sector, and the main priorities for business owners in the next six to twelve months.

Renowned for uncovering important issues and the needs of small and medium-sized manufacturers across a variety of key areas (including sales, profits, investment, and staff), the Barometer unveils important statistics and data used for prioritising funding, identifying skills gaps, and establishing support programmes for small and medium manufacturers.

Nick Golding, Managing Director at SWMAS, comments, “We aim to give small and medium-sized manufacturers a collective voice as the 99% of firms who are often overlooked for support. Last quarter, I was inspired by a number of the stories around Business Aspirations from this group of firms, and the innovative ways they were overcoming challenges. There is a great opportunity for shared learning around this, so this quarter, we are asking firms to highlight their investment priorities so that other businesses can understand the types of actions companies are taking to grow and prosper.”

Manufacturers from across the UK are being encouraged to complete this quarterly survey, giving their views on past performance and future expectations in the four key areas. The national survey also includes a special focus each quarter, this time focusing on future growth and investment plans – which will allow SMWAS to develop bespoke support packages for manufacturing businesses.

January’s survey, responded to by nearly 200 businesses, showed some positivity, with the majority of firms expecting sales and profits to rise over the next six months, However, respondents also identified a number of barriers being faced by manufacturers dominating their current and future business focuses, with as many as 64% not thinking that the benefits of implementing low carbon improvements outweigh the cost, despite rising energy prices.

Nick adds, “The information gathered within the Barometer is reviewed by policymakers to understand how trends and issues are affecting the SME manufacturing demographic to design schemes and funding to help provide support.”

Exclusively for SME manufacturers based across the UK, the Manufacturing Barometer is a quarterly survey organised by SWMAS to uncover past performance and future expectations across the sector, and map these core trends over time. It is the largest quarterly SME manufacturing survey in the UK.

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• Source: https://www.logisticsit.com/articles/2023/04/04/sme-manufacturers-urged-to-have-their-say-swmas-q4-2022-barometer