1. Survey information

These questions are for Wave 43 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on the 1st November. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

2. Trading status of your business

Which of the following statements best describes your business's trading status?

  • Currently fully trading

  • Currently partially trading

  • Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks

  • Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks

  • Permanently ceased trading

Where in the UK are your sites temporarily or permanently closed, if any?

  • Northern Ireland

  • Scotland

  • Wales

  • East of England

  • East Midlands

  • Greater London

  • North East of England

  • North West of England

  • South East of England

  • South West of England

  • West Midlands

  • Yorkshire and The Humber

  • Not sure

  • Do not have any sites

  • None of our sites are temporarily or permanently closed

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

3. Turnover

How does your business’s turnover over the last month, compare to normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Turnover has increased by more than 50%

  • Turnover has increased between 20% and 50%

  • Turnover has increased by up to 20%

  • Turnover has not been affected

  • Turnover has decreased by up to 20%

  • Turnover has decreased between 20% and 50%

  • Turnover has decreased by more than 50%

  • Not sure

What was the main reason for this change to your business’s turnover over the last month?

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

  • End of the EU transition period

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the end of the EU transition period

  • Other

  • Not sure

What are your expectations about turnover for the next month?

  • Expect turnover to substantially increase

  • Expect turnover to increase a little

  • Expect turnover to stay the same

  • Expect turnover to decrease a little

  • Expect turnover to substantially decrease

  • Not sure

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

4. Exporting

Which of the following best describes your business's exporting status?

  • Exported in the last 12 months

  • Exported more than 12 months ago

  • Never exported and do not have goods or services suitable for export

  • Never exported but have goods or services that could be developed for export

  • Not sure

Has your business exported goods or services in the last 12 months?

  • Exported goods only

  • Exported services only

  • Exported both goods and services

  • Not sure

How does your business’s exporting over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Exporting more than normal

  • Exporting as normal

  • Exporting, but less than normal

  • Not been able to export in the last month

  • Not sure

How does the cost of exporting over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Cost has increased

  • Cost has stayed the same

  • Cost has decreased

  • Not sure

How does the time spent on exporting over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Time spent has increased

  • Time spent has stayed the same

  • Time spent has decreased

  • Not sure

Have you experienced any of the following challenges with exporting goods or services over the last month?

  • Additional paperwork

  • Basing some staff in an EU member state to be allowed to work

  • Change in transportation costs

  • Closure of infrastructure used to export goods or services

  • Customs duties or levies

  • Destination countries changing their border restrictions

  • Disruption at UK borders

  • Finding information on how to export

  • Lack of hauliers to transport goods or lack of logistics equipment

  • Reduced demand for products and services

  • Time taken for checks at the border

  • Work permit or visa restrictions, or lack of mutual recognition of professional qualifications

  • Other

  • Did not experience any challenges with exporting

What was the main cause of these exporting challenges?

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

  • End of the EU transition period

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the end of the EU transition period

  • Other

  • Not sure

Which of the following support options has your business benefitted from, to help with exporting challenges?

  • Customs and tariffs

  • Export licences

  • Financial support

  • Finding new markets

  • Finding new overseas contacts or customers

  • Information on exporting

  • Legal support

  • Transport and distribution

  • Understanding markets and demand issues

  • Other

  • None of the above

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

5. Importing

Which of the following best describes your business's importing status?

  • Imported in the last 12 months

  • Imported more than 12 months ago

  • Never imported

  • Not sure

Has your business imported goods or services in the last 12 months?

  • Imported goods only

  • Imported services only

  • Imported both goods and services

  • Not sure

How does your business's importing over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Importing more than normal

  • Importing as normal

  • Importing, but less than normal

  • Not been able to import in the last month

  • Not sure

How does the cost of importing over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Cost has increased

  • Cost has stayed the same

  • Cost has decreased

  • Not sure

How does the time spent on importing over the last month compare with normal expectations for this time of year?

  • Time spent has increased

  • Time spent has stayed the same

  • Time spent has decreased

  • Not sure

Have you experienced any of the following challenges with importing over the last month?

  • Additional paperwork

  • Change in transportation costs

  • Closure of infrastructure used to import goods or services

  • Customs duties or levies

  • Destination countries changing their border restrictions

  • Disruption at UK borders

  • Finding information on how to import

  • Lack of hauliers to transport goods or lack of logistics equipment

  • Suppliers not continuing to trade

  • Suppliers not customs ready

  • Time taken for checks at the border

  • Other

  • Did not experience any challenges with importing

What was the main cause of these importing challenges?

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

  • End of the EU transition period

  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the end of the EU transition period

  • Other

  • Not sure

Which of the following support options would your business benefit from, to help with importing challenges?

  • Customs and tariffs

  • Finding new alternative supply chains

  • Finding new overseas contacts or customers

  • Import licences

  • Information on importing

  • Legal support

  • Transport and distribution

  • Understanding markets and demand issues

  • Other

  • None of the above

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

6. Production and suppliers

Is your business experiencing any challenges when trading with customers in other UK nations?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Has the overall choice of suppliers for sourcing your business's materials, goods and services changed since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

  • Choice of suppliers has increased

  • Choice of suppliers has not changed

  • Choice of suppliers has decreased

  • Not sure

Has the number of businesses, selling similar goods or services as your business, changed since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

  • Number has increased

  • Number has not changed

  • Number has decreased

  • Not sure

Has your business been affected by recent increases in wholesale gas prices?

  • Yes, production has been affected

  • Yes, suppliers have been affected

  • Yes, both production and suppliers have been affected

  • No, my business has not been affected

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Are your business's gas costs fixed or hedged?

  • Yes, expiring by December 2021

  • Yes, expiring by March 2022

  • Yes, expiring after March 2022

  • No, gas prices are variable

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Does your business's fixed price contract or hedging cover all or only part of your gas costs?

  • All gas costs fixed or hedged

  • More than half of gas costs fixed or hedged

  • Less than half of gas costs fixed or hedged

  • Not sure

Are your business's electricity costs fixed or hedged?

  • Yes, expiring by December 2021

  • Yes, expiring by March 2022

  • Yes, expiring after March 2022

  • No, electricity prices are variable

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Does your business's fixed price contract or hedging cover all or only part of your electricity costs?

  • All electricity costs fixed or hedged

  • More than half of electricity costs fixed or hedged

  • Less than half of electricity costs fixed or hedged

  • Not sure

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

7. Access to financial support

Has your business received any government-backed loans or finance agreements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Not sure

Has your business received payment from any of the following grants or schemes in the last month?

  • Additional Restriction Grant

  • Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

  • Kickstart Job Scheme for young people

  • Recovery Loan Scheme

  • Sector-specific grant

  • Small business grant

  • Super-deduction

  • Other

  • Not sure

  • Not received any of these grants in the last month

Did the support received from any of the initiatives or schemes help your business to continue trading?

  • Yes, it helped us to continue trading

  • No, it did not impact our ability to continue trading

  • Not sure

How long do you think your business's cash reserves will last?

  • No cash reserves

  • Less than 1 month

  • 1 to 3 months

  • 4 to 6 months

  • More than 6 months

  • Not sure

How much confidence does your business have that it will survive the next three months?

  • High confidence

  • Moderate confidence

  • Low confidence

  • No confidence

  • Not sure

Over the last month, how did your business's debt repayments compare with turnover?

  • Repayments were more than 100% of turnover

  • Repayments were between 50% and 100% of turnover

  • Repayments were between 20% and 50% of turnover

  • Repayments were up to 20% of turnover

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

How much confidence does your business have that it will meet its debt obligations?

  • High confidence

  • Moderate confidence

  • Low confidence

  • No confidence

  • Not sure

  • Do not have any debt obligations

What is your business's risk of insolvency?

  • Severe risk

  • Moderate risk

  • Low risk

  • No risk

  • The business is insolvent

  • Not sure

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

8. Operational performance

In the last two weeks, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were:

  • Using a hybrid model of working

  • Working from home

  • Working from a designated workspace

  • On sick leave or not working due to coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, self-isolation or quarantine

  • Made permanently redundant

  • Other

Which, if any, of the following skills has your business had a high demand for in the last 12 months?

  • Advanced digital skills

  • Basic digital skills

  • Customer service skills

  • Management or leadership skills

  • Manual skills

  • Transferable skills

  • Other

  • None of the above

Which, if any, of the following skills does your workforce require extra support of training in?

  • Advanced digital skills

  • Basic digital skills

  • Customer service skills

  • Management or leadership skills

  • Manual skills

  • Transferable skills

  • Other

  • None of the above

Is your business using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Why is your business using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward?

  • Ability to better match jobs to skills

  • Ability to recruit from a wider geographical pool in the UK

  • Ability to recruit from a wider geographical pool internationally

  • Improved staff wellbeing

  • Increased productivity

  • Reduced carbon emissions

  • Reduced overheads

  • Reduced sickness absence

  • Reduced wage bill

  • Other

  • Not sure

Why is your business not intending to use increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward?

  • Concerns with integrating new starters into the workplace

  • Difficulties managing staff remotely

  • Negative impact on working culture

  • Not suitable for our business

  • Reduced communication

  • Reduced productivity

  • Reduced reliability and retention or staff

  • Security concerns

  • Other

  • Not sure

When do you expect your workforce to return to their normal place of work?

  • Within the next month

  • Between 1 and 3 months

  • Between 4 and 6 months

  • More than 6 months

  • Workforce already returned to their normal place of work

  • Not expecting workforce to return to their normal place of work

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

What percentage of your workforce do you expect to return to their normal place of work in the time period you selected?

  • Above 75% of the workforce

  • Between 50-75% of the workforce

  • Between 25-49% of the workforce

  • Less than 25% of the workforce

  • Not sure

Has the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected your business's plans to expand?

  • Plans are more ambitious

  • No change in plans

  • Plans are less ambitious

  • Plans have been postponed or cancelled

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

9. Comments

Please tell us anything else about your business's current situation relating to topics covered in this survey

  • Comments
Nôl i'r tabl cynnwys

Manylion cyswllt ar gyfer y Erthygl

Emily Hopson
bics@ons.gov.uk
Ffôn: +44 1633 455 592