Global Economic Meltdown: Is Your UK SME Next?
- mcrouzier3
- Sep 16
- 2 min read
In today’s volatile global landscape, UK SMEs are facing unprecedented challenges. From rising costs and currency fluctuations to geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions, the pressure is mounting - and survival is no longer guaranteed.
The Reality: SME Survival Rates Are Slipping
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up 99.8% of the UK business population, yet their survival is increasingly precarious. In 2023 alone, over 292,000 new businesses were launched, but more than 295,000 closed their doors. The balance between births and deaths has tipped, reflecting the immense strain SMEs face from inflation, energy costs, and global instability.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the five-year survival rate for UK businesses founded in 2018 was just 39.4% by 2023. Even one-year survival rates have dipped slightly - from 93.4% in 2022 to 92.3% in 2023.
The Geopolitical Squeeze: Trade and Supply Chain Disruptions
Geopolitical tensions are reshaping global trade - and UK SMEs are caught in the crossfire. From post-Brexit regulations to US-China trade disputes and Red Sea shipping threats, businesses are facing higher tariffs, longer lead times, and unstable supply chains.
The World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists Outlook reports that 93% of economists expect supply chain restructuring to disrupt trade patterns over the next three years, with 56% predicting global economic pressure in 2025.
UK Parliament’s horizon scan highlights a shift toward “securonomics” — where trade policy is increasingly tied to national security. This includes friend-shoring, near-shoring, and investment screening to protect strategic sectors and reduce exposure to geopolitical rivals.
What You’ll Learn at Our Panel Discussion
Join us this September for a high-impact panel discussion where we’ll explore:
How geopolitics is affecting UK SME operations Understand the new trade barriers, regulatory shifts, and currency risks impacting your business.
How to build resilience in uncertain times Learn strategies for financial stability, supply chain diversification, and risk management.
Currency, capital, and supply chain strategies for SMEs Discover how to hedge FX risk, secure funding, and adapt logistics to stay competitive.
Why This Matters
Letting viable SMEs fail is a loss not just for business owners, but for communities and the economy. As Karen Rudich, CEO & Founder of sherloc, puts it:
“The SME economy is the economy… By SMEs, we want to support them to be resilient to manage the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous economic that is ours today.”
📅 Event Date: 29 September 2025 at 1.30pm GMT + 1 (London, Dublin)
📍 Location: Online
🔗 Register Now: https://www.linkedin.com/events/globaleconomicmeltdown-isyouruk7349373264617533440/theater/
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