UK Small Businesses Brace for Rising Costs: Insights & Solutions

UK Small Businesses Brace for Rising Costs: Insights & Solutions

According to Intuit QuickBooks’ latest SME Insights survey, 57% of UK small businesses expect their costs to rise in the next three months.

For many, this looming pressure is intensifying concerns over profitability, cash flow, and business continuity.


Why Costs Are Rising for UK SMEs

The survey identifies several contributing factors:


1. Inflation and supplier pricing pressures

Despite some easing in headline inflation figures, small businesses are still feeling the effects of supplier price hikes, rising utility bills, and increased costs for raw materials.


2. Reliance on international supply chains

42% of businesses import materials, making them vulnerable to currency fluctuations, import costs, and shipping delays.


3. Employment-related costs

Staff wages, employer contributions, and recruitment costs are all trending upward, placing additional strain on already tight margins.


How Business Owners Are Feeling

The emotional toll is growing. Of those expecting higher costs, 64% are worried about how they’ll absorb them.


Alarmingly, 1 in 10 say further increases would be “impossible to manage.” These sentiments reflect the deeper challenge: many owners feel they are losing control.


Cash flow, in particular, is under pressure. Nearly half of the surveyed businesses report cash flow concerns, with limited access to real-time financial data, few forecasting tools, and inconsistent cost-control processes.


The Business Impact: Real Challenges, Every Week

At gHawk Accounting, we speak with business owners every week who are juggling:


  • Unexpected tax bills
  • Rising overheads, they can’t explain
  • Suppliers tightening credit terms
  • Staff pay expectations are increasing
  • A constant sense of “catching up” rather than planning ahead


One client described it perfectly after joining our programme:


"Before working with you, I felt like I was always trying to guess what was coming. Now, I have a clear plan, I know what to watch for, and I’ve stopped panicking about cash flow."


This shift from reaction to strategy is exactly what our Cash Flow Builder Programme is designed to deliver.


How the Cash Flow Builder Programme Helps

Our structured, personalised programme is designed for small business owners who want to take back control.


We help you:
✅ Set up weekly cash monitoring habits
✅ Forecast cash and profit up to 12 months ahead
✅ Identify profit leaks and pricing gaps
✅ Analyse overheads and direct costs
✅ Build a cash reserve plan for confidence and stability
✅ Use visual dashboards to stay informed without being overwhelmed


With our support, you’ll stop making decisions based on fear and start using facts, forecasts, and financial visibility.


Take the First Step: Assess Your Cash Flow Health

You don’t need to book a call or commit to anything to get started.


Begin with what’s within your control today.

Spend just 2 minutes completing our Cash Flow Scorecard, a simple, 20-question assessment that gives you a snapshot of your current cash flow health.


✅ Immediate feedback
✅ Covers habits, systems, profitability and decision-making
✅ Designed specifically for SME business owners


👉 Take the Cash Flow Scorecard now


Knowing where you stand is the first step to building a stronger, more sustainable business.


Contact Us. Let’s make that step count.