Research commissioned by Aldermore has found that businesses in the South of England are set for growth with 77% confident that they will grow over the next five years.

The report, produced in conjunction with YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr),* found that small and medium sized enterprises in the South have ambitious growth plans. Key decision makers within SMEs in the South of England told us that:

• 34% plan to invest in technology – this is in line with London and the East but ahead of all other regions including, Wales, Scotland, the North and the Midlands.
• 47% plan to grow by increasing their marketing spend.
• 37% pan to launch a new product or service.
• 31% plan to hire more staff.

Commenting on the findings, Richard Whitehouse, Regional Sales Director - South, Invoice Finance at Aldermore said:

“Every day we see strong and growing companies coming to us to support their growth ambitions; these findings indicate that there’ll be no sign of a slow-down over the next half a decade.

“It’s great to see that SMEs in the South of England are keeping pace with London, as a third of companies are staying ahead of the game through technology investment in both regions. This is positive news for the consumer and business community of the South as SME growth will continue to drive the local economy.”