Thread by @MattWGriffith

What are SMEs thinking about current Brexit mess?

Am just going through our most recent business survey, & clear is causing, not just widespread despair, but also lost business, fraying relationships with European customers & investment held or cancelled.

Some quotes below:

“Many European customers are saying they don’t want to buy British made goods. In situations where we are the only manufacturer, the clients have asked if we can consider to relocate production from UK to an EU country”

Chemicals Company

“I’m very worried about increased admin and feel there is no help available. We are a small team and don’t have the finance to employ someone to deal with [European] exports”

Jewellery Company

“Our main customer [from South Korea] for container shipments of cheddar has currently withdrawn from negotiations for 2019 due to the lack of any clarity on what the British are doing”

Cheese company

[We have] “lost bids for contracts available in the EU due to additional trading complications and negative view about the UK”

Medical products company

“If Free Trade Agreements we benefit from as part of EU are not replaced with similar agreements is likely to change way we do business & result in a loss of business. One of our largest customers is in South Korea – we may lose this business all together.”

Food & Drink Company

“I have had three tenders from overseas customers (2 x Chinese and 1 x Austrailian) put on pause due to uncertainty as to what would happen to their goods on arrival to the UK. I have lost a Chinese customer for the same reason to the tune of £100k per year.”

Logistics Company

“It is very difficult to get new business partners in Europe”

Toy Company

“Many customers are looking for alternatives to the UK”

Education Company

“This is making my European customers very anxious about placing orders at they don’t know what the tariffs will be to import their orders after Brexit. It is a sh*t show.”

Manufacturing company

“We believe a No Deal Brexit would be catastrophic… Larger companies might be able to ride out the storm, but a small business like ours could well go under – which means 9 people will be out of work.”

Environment services company

“Concern has been expressed by our German clients, in particular those specialising in selling British brands”

Small manufacturing company

“We are unable to develop new business in the EU. EU customers, especially Germans, are very jittery and are saying they will not accept price increases due to customs duties”

Manufacturing company

"Our clients across various sectors have already held back on numerous projects because they cannot execute them without knowing what will happen on March 29. The cost has been huge. The impact of 'No Deal' would be catastrophic."

Professional services company

UPDATE - now adding some more.

Each quote comes from a separate individual business:

“We are moving the bulk of the business overseas”

Technology company

“Total distraction for clients and further uncertainty or lack of confidence in UK, especially in pharma industries - potential reduction in commercial operations in UK and reduced R&D.”

Pharmaceutical consultancy company

“Most of our trading partners are being very cautious about future trade/business”

Publishing company

“Flip a coin on this one - we have no way of knowing & planning. We, along with most business we know, have stopped investment. We are setting up shell company in Portugal to be able to continue trading like for like in EU & with those whom EU has trading deals.”

Digital company

“The lack of coherent strategy by UK gov is great concern because, as small business, we don't have funds to shore ourselves up against possible negative effects of Brexit. We have to roll with the punches as they occur.”

Electrical testing company

“It's appalling that we are in situation that [in 2 weeks time] we don't know what will happen.

Just this week I spoke to long-term, regular Irish client who said that he didn't want to buy from us anymore because he doesn't know what's going to happen.”

Chemicals company

“Its a joke. Our main plans at the moment are focused on leaving the country and setting up home and business elsewhere.”

Solar Energy Company

“I can't believe the politicians have ignored the needs of businesses so badly. There seems to be no understanding of how business works especially businesses with complex cross border supply chains.”

Professional Services Company

“The Government's failure to handle the issue with business in mind has meant that all planning is pointless. I am over 60 years of age so if there is a No Deal Brexit I can retire and close my business making many people redundant.”

Digital company

“Some of our customers are no longer investing in the UK already and some are taking new projects abroad.”

Manufacturing consultancy company

“The extra burden of export paperwork could be huge. 50% of our sales are export of which 50% in EU”

Food & drink company

“One financial services client been planning European acquisition for more than year, which would result in considerable growth for them and us. They cannot complete until Brexit is resolved. It has already cost hugely in opportunity cost and management time.”

Services company

“Already potential clients and existing clients are holding off or stockpiling which are both bad for my business.”

Logistics company

“I primarily export. I have no certainty about trade deals, tariffs, taxes, costs, materials availability - its completely ridiculous - as SME I DO NOT have resources to fund Govt induced nonsense. When is the UK govt setting up a fund for SME's over Brexit??”

Textiles Company

“We make relatively small number of large value transactions each year, delay & uncertainty causes havoc. I'm unlikely to take on more staff (having cut from 20 to 15 in last 12 months) as I cannot be sure that I will be able to employ them in the long term.”

Furniture Company

"[In No Deal] we lose organic provenance on exports which make them unviable. We can't manufacture in Germany. This will result in loss of 2 branded products making up 50% of branded turnover. Once we lose supermarket shelf space we are unlikely to get back.”

Farming company

“It still is the great unknown but with us seeing clients pausing on recruitment already we are nervous that it will directly impact sales revenue.”

Recruitment company

“We're trebling ingredient stocks of EU origin which have longish shelf life. Short shelf life a bigger concern & will likely undergo considerable price increases. Business environment is mess purely because of party political gamesmanship.”

Food & Drink company

“We are trying to transfer all our EU regulatory approvals to EU, having been promised by our Notified Body that this would not be a problem, they are currently unable to do it.”

Manufacturing company

“I have set up a parallel business in the EU and will close in the UK if needed. Westminster is making us a laughing stock internationally”

Executive recruitment company

"We already cancelled a high profile launch into Poland due to Brexit, we will have to wait several years for things to settle before considering being able to move forward"

Car parts manufacturer

“We are a services supplier it is not possible to stockpile. Several of my clients are moving to mainland EU but I do not wish to relocate abroad.”

Manufacturing consultancy company

“Certain suppliers are threatening 11% increases in prices to cover extra paperwork required and possible tariffs.”

Manufacturer

“We have delayed investments for the past 8 - 10 months. We are planning on shipping as many orders as possible before the 29th and delaying orders restricting new product coming into the business”.

Autoparts company

Sad to say it, but UK negotiating approach & strategy has been oblivious to this fall out.

Since the Lancaster House speech, gov objectives & real world understanding of practical problems caused by Brexit has been miserably bad.

With 2 weeks left, real damage being done ENDS