Today, the pound has jumped up in value as Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled the Government’s Brexit plans. He told MPs on Thursday that his plan – which would see Northern Ireland stay in the European single market for goods but leave the customs union – was a “compromise”.
The Prime Minister said, “This government has moved, our proposals do represent a compromise and I hope that the House can now come together in the national interest, behind this new deal.”
Throughout the Brexit process, many have warned that investment into the UK’s SMEs would decrease, but what we are seeing from the businesses and investors we work with is quite different. More SMEs than ever are looking to private finance providers for growth funding, and our investor base is as confident as ever in the potential of these businesses.
Investor appetite has not floundered amidst Whitehall shifts. New figures show that the first half of 2019 saw the second highest amount of investment in SMEs on record. The amount invested in equity deals grew 15% from the second half of last year to £4.5 billion, with the number of deals rising by 10% to 889.
These statistics show a clear movement to get on with business and confidence among small businesses looking to grow and scale, despite uncertainty around Brexit.
The SME arena contributed £1.9 trillion to the UK’s economy in 2017 and so supporting this community through investment is of the utmost importance. As the backbone of the private sector, SMEs will be a huge factor in determining the success of Brexit and onwards. Encouraging investment into starts-ups and scale-ups will stand the UK economy in good stead for the future, both in the short and long term.
Preparing for Brexit also extends to taking advantage of opportunities and small businesses are perhaps best placed to do so. They are, by nature, nimble, adaptable and future-facing. Necessity may be the mother of all invention, but adversity is surely the catalyst of innovation.
IW Capital is keen to help SMEs that need assistance to plan for the future and find the right kind of investment in order to help them reach the next level.
To find out more about IW Capital, or for more information on investment and non-executive opportunities, please speak to a member of the IW Capital team today on 020 7015 2250, or email info@iwcapital.co.uk
