Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 29 May to 11 June 2023

These questions are for Wave 84 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 30 May 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

How did your business's turnover in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Turnover increased 

• Turnover stayed the same 

• Turnover decreased 

• Not sure 

What are your business's expectations for turnover in July 2023? 

• Expect turnover to increase 

• Expect turnover to stay the same 

• Expect turnover to decrease 

• Not sure

How did the prices of goods or services bought by your business in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Prices increased 

• Prices stayed the same 

• Prices decreased 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

How did the prices of goods or services sold by your business in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Prices increased 

• Prices stayed the same 

• Prices decreased 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

What are your business's expectations for the prices of goods or services sold in July 2023? 

• Prices will increase 

• Prices will stay the same 

• Prices will decrease 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

Which of the following factors, if any, are causing your business to consider raising prices in July 2023? 

• Energy prices 

• Finance costs 

• Labour costs 

• Raw material prices 

• Other (Please describe) 

• Not sure 

• Business is not considering raising prices 

How did your business's domestic demand for goods and services in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Demand increased 

• Demand stayed the same 

• Demand decreased 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

How did your business's international demand for goods and services in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Demand increased 

• Demand stayed the same 

• Demand decreased 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

Has your business been affected by recent increases in energy prices? 

• Yes, production has been affected 

• Yes, suppliers have been affected 

• Yes, both production and suppliers have been affected 

• No, the business has not been affected 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

In which of the following ways, if any, has your business been affected by price rises? 

• Discontinued lines of sale 

• Had to absorb costs 

• Had to access more financial support 

• Had to change suppliers 

• Had to make redundancies 

• Had to pass on price increases to customers 

• Had to reduce staff work hours 

• Unable to maintain workspaces 

• Other (Please describe) 

• Not sure 

• Business has not been affected by price rises

How did your business's stock levels of raw materials in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Stock levels were higher 

• Stock levels stayed the same 

• Stock levels were lower 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

How did your business's stock levels of finished goods in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Stock levels were higher 

• Stock levels stayed the same 

• Stock levels were lower 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

Is your business stockpiling any goods or materials? 

• Yes 

• No 

• Not sure

In May 2023, approximately what percentage of your business's workforce were: 

• Working from a designated workspace 

• Working from home 

• Using a hybrid model of working 

• Not working due to sickness 

• Made permanently redundant 

• Other 

How did the number of employees at your business in May 2023 compare with the previous calendar month? 

• Number of employees increased 

• Number of employees stayed the same 

• Number of employees decreased 

• Not sure 

What are your business's expectations for the number of employees in July 2023? 

• Number of employees will increase 

• Number of employees will stay the same 

• Number of employees will decrease 

• Not sure 

Did your business experience any difficulties recruiting employees in May 2023? 

• Yes 

• No 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable

In May 2023, how did your business's debt repayments compare with turnover? 

• Repayments were more than 100% of turnover 

• Repayments were between 50% and 100% of turnover 

• Repayments were between 20% and 50% of turnover 

• Repayments were up to 20% of turnover 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

How much confidence does your business have that it will meet its current debt obligations? 

• High confidence 

• Moderate confidence 

• Low confidence 

• No confidence 

• Not sure 

• Business does not have any debt obligations

What is your business's risk of insolvency? 

• Severe risk 

• Moderate risk 

• Low risk 

• No risk 

• Not sure 

• The business is insolvent 

How would you describe your business's overall performance in May 2023, compared with this calendar month last year? 

• Performance increased 

• Performance stayed the same 

• Performance decreased 

• Not sure 

How do you expect your business's overall performance to change over the next 12 months? 

• Performance will increase 

• Performance will stay the same 

• Performance will decrease 

• Not sure

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

• Comments