Vanarama customers were asked 10 key questions including how they felt about the current government in its first 100 days of office, their optimism for the future, if cash flow had improved through a reduction in bad debt and, what kept them awake at night.
Out of the 600 responses, 45% said they felt more optimistic for the future under the new government, with only 19% less optimistic. On the contentious subject of the EU a not insignificant 55% said they would leave it tomorrow. 47% of respondents said their bad debt had improved this year with just 7% saying it had worsened.
When asked what kept them awake at night, topping the list was recruitment of quality staff (37%) followed by coping with the current level of business (35%). So, seemingly business is on the up but finding good people to do the job remains a challenge for professional trades in a buoyant economy where talented people know they are in demand.
Vanarama’s managing director, Andy Alderson explains why he is not surprised by the survey results: “We have been aware of the growing positivity in the economy for some time now. Our survey simply confirmed in writing what our customers have been telling us anecdotally. Our customers hail from all trades including the construction sector which was badly hit by the credit crunch. It’s great to see confidence and growth returning across the board, especially in a sector that had its back against the wall.”