Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 18 September to 1 October 2023

These questions are for Wave 92 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 18 September 2023.

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

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 August 2023 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Exported more 

• Exporting stayed the same

• Exported less

• Business was unable to export

• Not sure

Did your business experience an increase in any of the following exporting challenges in August 2023, compared with the previous calendar month?

• Additional paperwork

• Change in exchange rates

• 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 an increase in any exporting challenges

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 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  August 2023 compare with this calendar month last year?

• Imported more

• Importing stayed the same

• Imported less

• Business was unable to import

• Not sure

Did your business experience an increase in any of the following importing challenges in August 2023, compared with the previous calendar month?

• Additional paperwork

• Change in exchange rates

• 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

Does your business plan to import or export goods to or from UK Freeports in the next 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Why is your business not planning to import or export goods from UK Freeports within the next 12 months?               

• Application process is burdensome

• Application is unlikely to be processed in time

• Application was rejected by HM Revenue and Customs

• Business does not import or export goods to or from the UK

• Business is already utilising existing customs procedures

• Business is not located in a designated freeport area

• Other

• Not sure

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in August 2023?

• 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 August 2023?

• Yes

• No         

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which of the following, if any, will be the main concern for your business in October 2023?

• Business rates

• Competition with other UK businesses

• Energy prices

• Exchange rates

• Falling demand of goods and services

• Inflation of goods and services prices

• Interest rates

• Property rental costs

• Supply chain disruption

• Taxation

• Other

• Not sure

• No concerns for the business

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

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

In August 2023, 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 August 2023

• 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

On average, how many days a week do your business's employees currently work from home?

• One to two days a week

• Three to four days a week

• Five or more days a week

• Not sure

• Employees do not work from home

What are your business's expectations for the number of days a week employees will work from home in the next 12 months?

• Number of days will likely increase

• Number of days will likely stay the same

• Number of days will likely decrease

• Not sure

On average, how did employees' hourly wages in August 2023 compare with employees' hourly wages in the previous calendar month?

• Wages increased

• Wages stayed the same

• Wages decreased

• Not sure

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

• Business had to pause trading entirely

• Had to pause trading of some of the business

• Business had to recruit temporary workers

• Unable to meet demands

• Other

• Not sure

• Business has not been affected

Was your business affected by industrial action in August 2023?

• Yes, the business was affected

• No, the business was not affected

• Not sure

• Not applicable

• Prefer not to say

How was your business affected by industrial action in August 2023?

• Business was unable to obtain necessary goods

• Business was unable to obtain necessary services

• Business was unable to operate fully

• Part or all of the workforce were directly involved in industrial action

• Workforce had to change their working location

• Workforce were unable to perform their roles

• Other

• Not sure

Which, if any, of the following artificial intelligence technologies does your business currently use?

• Autonomous vehicles

• Data processing using machine learning

• Image processing using machine learning

• Robotics

• Text generation using Large Language Models

• Visual content creation

• Other

• Not sure

• Business is not currently using artificial intelligence technologies

What does your business currently use artificial intelligence technologies for?

• Develop a new product or service, or explore a new market

• Image processing using machine learning

• Improve business operations

• Provide, or personalise, products or services to customers

• Other

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How did your business adopt these artificial intelligence technologies? 

• Developed in-house

• Outsourced to external providers or third parties

• Through purchase of external software or ready-to-use

• Other

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which, if any, of the following artificial intelligence technologies does your business plan to adopt within the next 3 months?

• Autonomous vehicles

• Data processing using machine learning

• Image processing using machine learning

• Robotics

• Text generation using Large Language Models

• Visual content creation

• Other

• Not sure

• Business does not plan to adopt artificial intelligence technologies in the next 3 months

What does your business plan to adopt artificial intelligence technologies for?

• Develop a new product or service or explore a new market

• Image processing using machine learning

• Improve business operations

• Provide, or personalise, products or services to customers

• Other

• Not sure

• Not applicable

In the last 3 months, which, if any, of the following factors have prevented or delayed your business in the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies?

• Cost

• Difficulty identifying business use cases

• Employee concern about any potential impact of using artificial intelligence technologies

• Level of expertise in artificial intelligence

• Product or service availability

• Security concerns

• Uncertainty about government regulations or industry standards

• Other

• Not sure

• Business has not attempted to use artificial intelligence technologies

• Business has not been prevented or experienced delays in the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies

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

• Comments