Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 3 May to 15 May 2022

These questions are for Wave 56 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 3 May 2022. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

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 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

Has your business exported goods or services in the last 12 months?

• Exported goods only

• Exported services only

• Exported both goods and services

• Not sure

Have you changed where you have exported your goods or services to in the last three months?

• Changes from EU to non-EU

• Changes from non-EU to EU

• Changed in a different way

• Not sure

• No changes made

Where has your business exported goods or services to in the last three months?

• EU only

• Non-EU only

• Both EU and non-EU

• Not exported in the last three months

• Not sure

How did your business's exporting in April 2022 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 any of the following challenges with exporting goods or services in April 2022?

• Additional paperwork

• 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 any challenges with exporting

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

How much disruption to your business have these challenges caused?

• Major disruption

• Moderate disruption

• Minor disruption

• No disruption

• Not sure

Which of the following support options has your business benefitted from, to help with exporting challenges?

• Customs and tariffs

• Export licences

• Financial support

• Finding new markets

• Finding new overseas contacts or customers

• Information on exporting

• Legal support

• Transport and disruption

• Understanding markets and demand issues

• Other

• None of the above

Which of the following best describes your business's importing status?

• Imported in the last 12 months

• Imported more than 12 months ago

• Never imported

• Not sure

Has your business imported goods or services in the last 12 months?

• Imported goods only

• Imported services only

• Imported both goods and services

• Not sure

Have you changed where you have sourced your imports of goods and services from in the last three months?

• Changed from EU to non-EU suppliers

• Changed from non-EU to EU suppliers

• Changed in a different way

• Not sure

• No changes made

Where has your business imported goods or services from in the last three months?

• EU only

• Non-EU only

• Both EU and non-EU

• Not imported in the last three months

• Not sure

How did your business's importing in April 2022 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 any of the following challenges with importing goods or services in April 2022?

• Additional paperwork

• 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 any challenges with importing

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

How much disruption to your business have these challenges caused?

• Major disruption

• Moderate disruption

• Minor disruption

• No disruption

• Not sure

Which of the following support options would your business benefit from, to help with importing challenges?

• Customs and tariffs

• Finding new alternative supply chains

• Finding new overseas contacts or customers

• Import licences

• Information on importing

• Legal support

• Transport and disruption

• Understanding markets and demand issues

• Other

• None of the above

Does your business manufacture, import, or distribute products that require either a CE marking or the new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking?

• Yes, we manufacture products that need a CE or UKCA marking

• Yes, we import products that need a CE or UKCA marking

• Yes, we distribute products that need a CE or UKCA marking

• Not sure

• No, we do not manufacture, import or distribute products that need a CE or UKCA marking

Is your business aware that most CE marked products need to be UKCA marked from 1 January 2023?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Is your business using, or intending to use, the UKCA marking by 1 January 2023?

• Already using UKCA marking

• Not aware of, or do not know how to meet, requirements for the UKCA

• Not using the UKCA marking, but plan to by 1 January 2023

• Will not use UKCA marking, as not relevant to our products or business

• Not sure

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from the EU in April 2022?

• 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

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in April 2022?

• 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 April 2022?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which of the following, if any, will be the main concern for your business in May 2022?

• Business rates

• Competition

• Energy prices

• Exchange rates

• Inflation of goods and services prices

• Interest rates

• Supply chain disruption

• Taxation

• Other

• Not sure

• No concerns for my business

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

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

In April 2022, 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 April 2022

• Comments

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

• Had to pause trading entirely

• Had to pause trading of some of the business

• Had to recruit temporary workers

• Unable to meet demands

• Other

• Not sure

• Business has not been affected

How has your business's innovation changed since March 2020?

• There has been more innovation

• Innovation has not changed

• There has been less innovation

• Not sure

• Not applicable

In which of the following areas, if any, did your business increase innovation since March 2020?

• Adoption of home or hybrid working

• Adoption of online sales models

• Improvement of existing products and services

• Improvements in methods of logistics, delivery or distribution

• Improvements in methods of manufacturing products and services

• Introduction of new products and services

• Investment in innovation activities

• Other

• Not sure

• Business did not increase innovation

In which of the following areas, if any, did your business make adjustments to support innovations since March 2020?

• Communication with external stakeholders

• Communication within the business

• Employee monitoring and incentives

• Hiring, redundancy and promotion

• Key performance indicators

• Processes for dealing with, and anticipating, problems

• Responsibility for key decisions

• Target-setting within the business

• Other

• Not sure

• Business did not make any adjustments

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

• Comments