INTEREST RATES: North West firms ‘not planning for expected rises’

The most recent results of the Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly survey that canvasses the views of small to medium sized business owners and senior management across the country, show that just a quarter of those polled in the region have considered taking precautionary measures.

Mike Randall, CEO of Close Brothers Asset Finance, says the results may indicate a degree of uncertainty about how UK interest rates could behave in the next 12 months.

It comes against the backdrop of a general election, zero inflation and an under-performing Eurozone.

“Our survey shows that 16 per cent of firms in the North West believe the base rate will rise in Q3 of this year with a further nine per cent expecting it to come in before the end of 2015,” said Mr Randall.

“It sounds as if many business managers and owners find it too hard to call, yet it is understood interest rates can’t stay this low forever.

“We would encourage businesses to put a contingency plan in place to cope with a UK base rate rise as it could have a dramatic impact on their operations, making borrowing more expensive and impact cash flows as more is needed to service debt. All major industrial sectors covered in our survey pinpoint 2016 as the year when these rates will increase yet precious few are thinking today about the consequences and we would urge them to do so,” added Mr Randall