Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 30th May to 12th June 2022

These questions are for Wave 58 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 30 May 2022. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

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

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

• Exported in the last 12 months

• Exported more than 12 months ago

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

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

• Not sure

How did your business's exporting in May 2022 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Exported more

• Exporting stayed the same

• Exported less

• Business was unable to export

• Not sure

How did your business's cost of exporting in May 2022 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Cost increased

• Cost stayed the same

• Cost decreased

• Not sure

How did the time spent on exporting in May 2022 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Time spent increased

• Time spent stayed the same

• Time spent decreased

• Not sure

Did your business experience any challenges with exporting goods or services in May 2022?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Did your business experience an increase in any of the following exporting challenges in May 2022, compared with the previous calendar month?

• Additional paperwork

• Change in transportation costs

• 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

Please explain in more detail the main cause of these exporting challenges

• Comments

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

• Imported in the last 12 months

• Imported more than 12 months ago

• Never imported

• Not sure

How did your business's importing in May 2022 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Imported more

• Importing stayed the same

• Imported less

• Business was unable to import

• Not sure

How did your business's cost of importing in May 2022 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Cost increased

• Cost stayed the same

• Cost decreased

• Not sure

How did the time spent on importing in May 2022 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Time spent increased

• Time spent stayed the same

• Time spent decreased

• Not sure

Did your business experience any challenges with importing in May 2022?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Did your business experience an increase in any of the following importing challenges in May 2022, compared with the previous calendar month?

• Additional paperwork

• Change in transportation costs

• Customs duties or levies

• Disruption at UK borders

• Finding information on how to import

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

• Suppliers not customs ready

• Time taken for checks at the border

• Other

• Did not experience an increase in any importing challenges

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

Please explain in more detail the main cause of these importing challenges

• Comments

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in May 2022?

• Yes, the business was able to get the materials, goods or services it needed

• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

• No, the business was not able to get the materials, goods or services needed

• Not applicable

Did your business experience any global supply chain disruption in May 2022?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about how your business has been affected by global supply chain disruption

• Comments

Which of the following, if any, will be your business's main concern for July 2022?

• Business rates

• Competition

• Energy prices

• Exchange rates

• Inflation of goods and services prices

• Interest rates

• Supply chain disruption

• Taxation

• Other

• Not sure

• No concerns for my business

Has your business sent goods from GB to Northern Ireland in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

In May 2022, how did the volume of goods your business sent from GB to Northern Ireland compare with the previous calendar month?

• Volume increased

• Volume stayed the same

• Volume decreased

• Stopped sending goods to Northern Ireland

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about why the volume of goods sent from GB to Northern Ireland changed in May 2022

• Comments

Has your business sent goods from Northern Ireland to GB in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

In May 2022, how did the volume of goods your business sent from Northern Ireland to GB compare with the previous calendar month?

• Volume increased

• Volume stayed the same

• Volume decreased

• Stopped sending goods to GB

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about why the volume of goods sent from Northern Ireland to GB changed in May 2022

• Comments

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

• Costs of employee equipment

• Difficulties managing staff remotely

• Negative impact on working culture

• Not suitable for our business

• Reduced communication

• Reduced productivity

• Reduced reliability and retention of staff

• Security concerns

• Other

• Not sure

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 or 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 currently experiencing a shortage of workers?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How has the shortage of workers affected your business?

• Employees working increased hours

• Had to pause trading entirely

• Had to pause trading of some of the business

• Had to recruit temporary workers

• Unable to meet demands

• Other

• Not sure

• Business has not been affected

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

• Comments