1. Survey information

These questions are for Wave 80 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 3 April 2023. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

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2. Trading status of your business

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

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3. Turnover

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

  • Turnover increased

  • Turnover stayed the same

  • Turnover decreased

  • Not sure

Which of the following challenges, if any, are currently impacting your business's turnover?

  • Competition

  • Cost of labour

  • Cost of materials

  • Economic uncertainty

  • Financial costs

  • Insufficient domestic demand

  • Insufficient international demand

  • Lack of equipment

  • Shortage of labour

  • Shortage of materials

  • Weather conditions

  • Other (Please describe)

  • Not sure

  • Not currently experiencing any challenges

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

  • Expect turnover to increase

  • Expect turnover to stay the same

  • Expect turnover to decrease

  • Not sure

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4. Prices

How did the prices of goods or services bought by your business in March 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 March 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 May 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 May 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 March 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 March 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

  • The business has not been affected by price rises

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5. Stock levels

How did your business's stock levels of raw materials in March 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 March 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

What are your business's expectations for capital expenditure over the next three months?

  • Capital expenditure will increase

  • Capital expenditure will stay the same

  • Capital expenditure will decrease

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Why is your business expecting to authorise capital expenditure in May 2023?

  • For replacements

  • To expand capacity

  • To increase efficiency

  • To provide new services

  • To reach new customers

  • To use new technology

  • Other (Please describe)

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Which of the following, if any, do you expect to limit your business's capital expenditure in May 2023?

  • Inability to raise external finance

  • Inadequate return on proposed investment

  • Shortage of internal finance

  • Shortage of labour

  • Uncertainty about demand or business prospects

  • Other (Please describe)

  • Not sure

  • Not expecting any limits to capital expenditure

Did your business scrap any capital assets earlier than intended in March 2023?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Please explain in more detail what type of assets your business scrapped early and why

  • Comments
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6. Artificial intelligence

Does your business currently use any of the following artificial intelligence applications?

  • Chatbots

  • Voice assistants

  • Autonomous vehicles

  • Spam filters

  • Facial recognition

  • Personalised shopping

  • Robotics

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

Does your business plan to use any of the following artificial intelligence applications?

  • Chatbots

  • Voice assistants

  • Autonomous vehicles

  • Spam filters

  • Facial recognition

  • Personalised shopping

  • Robotics

  • Not sure

  • Not applicable

What does your business currently use, or plan to use, artificial intelligence applications for?

  • Create efficiencies to reduce costs or increase productivity

  • Provide a more personalised service to customers

  • Developing a new product or service

  • Improving cybersecurity

  • Other (Please describe)

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8. Business concerns

In March 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

  • Do 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 long do you expect your business's cash reserves will last?

  • Less than 1 month

  • 1 to 3 months

  • 4 to 6 months

  • More than 6 months

  • Not sure

  • Business has no cash reserves

How would you describe your business's overall performance in March 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

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9. Comments

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

  • Comments
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Contact details for this Article

Gemma Rabaiotti
bics@ons.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 1633 455 592