1. Title Bullet Point Yorkshire Post Business Barometer Prepared for Yorkshire Post by Brahm Sponsored by Irwin Mitchell July 2010

2. Current trading conditions

3. Business leaders are extremely positive about Yorkshire; there is an inherent pride in doing business in this region … B1. Overall, how would you rate Yorkshire as a place to do business? B1b. Why do you say this? Base: All respondents (200) 90% good7% bad “I have worked all around the country and I feel this area is a nice, safe place with lots of opportunity for work and good education provision. It is an attractive place to visit and to work in” Local Authority, Beverley “I have worked all around the country and I feel this area is a nice, safe place with lots of opportunity for work and good education provision. It is an attractive place to visit and to work in” Local Authority, Beverley “I think all the investment goes to the South East. A lot of manufacturing companies here are either closing or moving to other areas. This has a knock on effect to the local economy in general” Construction, Hull “I think all the investment goes to the South East. A lot of manufacturing companies here are either closing or moving to other areas. This has a knock on effect to the local economy in general” Construction, Hull “We have a pretty stable market here, less peaks and troughs than a lot of other areas in the country” Property, York “We have a pretty stable market here, less peaks and troughs than a lot of other areas in the country” Property, York

4. Recent times have been tough on Yorkshire & Humberside businesses, but the outlook is more positive Change in financial performance of your business in the past 12-18 months Financial outlook for your business in the next 12-18 months B2. Thinking about the past 12-18 months, how much, if at all, would you say the financial performance of your business has changed? B3. Now thinking about the next 12-18 months, what do you anticipate as being the financial outlook for your business? Base: All respondents (200) 31% improved 45% improve 49% got worse 20% get worse

5. A range of proactive measures will be taken to boost business performance B4. Which of the following measures, if any, will your business take in the next 3-6 months in order to boost performance/shore up for the next 12-18 months of trading? Base: All respondents (200)

6. Resources, employment and skills

7. Skills and training – enough of a priority? Priority of providing new skills and training for your workforce Change in the amount of investment in training staff within the past 12-18 months C2. How much of a priority is providing new skills and training to your workforce? C2b. How, if at all, has investment in training of staff changed within your business in the past 12-18 months? Base: All respondents (200) 71% priority 25% increased 27% not a priority 11% decreased

8. Businesses in Yorkshire & Humberside have limited links with... C3. With regards to improving the skills of your workforce, does your business have strong links with any of the following…? Base: All respondents (200)... Only 25% of businesses have strong links with local universities... Only 37% of businesses have strong links with local colleges... Only 37% of businesses have strong links with Business Link... Only 29% of businesses have strong links with Chamber of Commerce Yorkshire businesses have limited links with other organisations as well, including Business and Education South Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire Social Services, Yorkshire Forward and UK Trade & Investment

9. R&D and innovation

10. A high proportion of Yorkshire & Humberside businesses spend only 1-10% of turnover on R&D / innovation D1. Approximately what percentage of your business turnover is spent on R&D/innovation? Base: All respondents (200)

11. Investment in R&D / innovation remains consistent for Yorkshire & Humberside businesses Investment in R&D/innovation within the past 12-18 months Investment in R&D/innovation within the next 12-18 months D2. Thinking about the past 12-18 months, how much, if at all, would you say your investment in R&D/innovation has changed? D3. Now thinking about the next 12-18 months, how much, if at all, do you think your investment in R&D/innovation will change? Base: All respondents (200) 10% increased 17% increase 9% decreased 3% decrease

12. Business support

13. Support from the banks has remained fairly consistent over the past 12-18 months Support your business generally receives from the banks How support from the banks has changed over the past 12-18 months B5. How would you rate the support your business generally receives from the banks? B5b. And how, if at all, has this support from banks changed over the past 12-18 months? Base: All respondents (200) 57% good 8% improved 30% bad 34% got worse

14. 4 in 10 businesses would go to banks / lenders for information or financial help E1. Where would you go if you were looking for information or financial help for your business in times of economic uncertainty? Base: All respondents (200) 41% would go to banks and other mainstream lenders 27% would go to accountants/ solicitors 14% would go to Business Link 15% would go elsewhere such as the Manufacturing Advisory Service, Directgov, personal friends/family, business associates, the internet and trade magazines. 5% would go to The Council 4% would go to the Chamber of Commerce 4% would go to Yorkshire Forward However, 18% didn’t know where they would go / didn’t know information and support was available

15. Organisations in Yorkshire & Humberside prefer to use local legal support Satisfaction with access to legal support/services within Yorkshire E2. How satisfied are you with the access to legal support/services within the Yorkshire region? Base: All respondents (200) E2b. Does your business obtain legal support from outside of the Yorkshire region? Base: All dissatisfied with access (10) *LOW BASE SIZE* 77% satisfied 5% dissatisfied Only 2 of the 10 people who were dissatisfied with access to legal support/services in Yorkshire said their business obtains legal support outside of Yorkshire.

16. Communications and transport

17. Yorkshire and Humber – well linked in the UK? F1. Thinking about infrastructure, how well do you feel Yorkshire is connected to other UK regions in the following ways…? Base: All respondents (200) LINKED VERY WELL NOT WELL LINKED AT ALL DON’T KNOW 53% well linked Rail Road links Digital services 57% well linked 66% well linked 49% well linked 60 % of businesses, who are optimistic their financial performance will improve, feel that Yorkshire is well connected to other UK regions through digital services. This is significantly more than businesses who indicated their financial performance will get worse over the next 12-18 months with only 38% of such businesses feeling this way. Airports 19% not well linked 15% not well linked 16% not well linked

18. ...and to international markets? F2. Thinking about infrastructure, how well do you feel Yorkshire is connected to other world markets in the following ways…? Base: All respondents (200) LINKED VERY WELL NOT WELL LINKED AT ALL DON’T KNOW 38% well linked Rail Road links Digital services 30% well linked 41% well linked Airports 30% not well linked 34% not well linked 25% not well linked 17% not well linked

19. Political

20. Satisfaction with the Labour Government’s business support prior to the election was fairly low... Satisfaction with the support your business received from the Government prior to the recent general election A1. Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the support your business received from the Government prior to the recent general election? Base: All respondents (200) 32% satisfied 63% dissatisfied

21. Personal satisfaction with the election result is higher... A2. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you personally with the result of the recent general election? Base: All respondents (200) 64% positive 24% negative Personal satisfaction with the result of the recent general election

22. ... however more uncertainty prevails from a business perspective A2b. How positive or negative do you feel this result will be for your business? A2c. Why do you say that? Base: All respondents (200) 49% positive 27% negative “It needs a coalition to sort us out. We have to get our debt problems sorted out in order to raise confidence and get business back on track. I think they will address the debt” Manufacturing, Bradford “For the last 14 years, having a business has made me feel like the enemy, with all the rights on the side of the employees. I think this Government are more aligned to the needs of business. I think they will be more realistic and understand that we are creating wealth and employing people. I hope we will get more help” Construction, Scunthorpe Election optimism for business “I don't see an increase in public confidence as is usual after elections. We are in a deep recession and it is going to take a lot of spending cuts to get right. I felt we needed a change of Government, but I am not sure the coalition is the answer. The ''feel good factor'' is not in evidence yet” Sport & Leisure, Doncaster

23. Yorkshire and Humber businesses support Yorkshire Forward’s retention. A3. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements…? Base: All respondents (200) A lower (£) value on foreign exchanges will benefit my business The proposed increase in capital gains tax will damage my business We need to retain Yorkshire Forward (the RDA) STRONGLY AGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE DON’T KNOW 27% agree 48% agree 55% agree

24. There is low awareness of the city region concept, however those who are aware of it show support for it … A4. Are you aware of the city region concept (e.g. Leeds city region concept, Sheffield city region concept)? Base: All respondents (200) A4b. And do you support the city region concept? Base: All aware of the city region concept (40) *LOW BASE SIZE*

25. Cutting taxes and red tape are most important for Yorkshire & Humberside organisations A3b. If there was one thing that the Government could do today to help your business, what would it be? Base: All respondents (200) Help topicTotal (%) Reduce taxes37% Reduce ‘red-tape’18% Banks could ease up credit for businesses 13% Reduction in public spending13% Retention / increase in public spending 13% Other6%

26. Key findings

27. Yorkshire is a good place to do business Expectations are for market improvement in next 12/18 months Broad support for Coalition and approach to addressing the deficit Business requires Government support and YF to be retained Low awareness of the city region concept Invest in skills and training a priority but low links with education bodies and business support agencies Lack of invest in R&D / innovation Need for improved links to other world markets Need for Government to cut taxes and red tape

28. …we are Brahm Great Insight. Great Outcomes For more information please contact Malcolm Cowing on 0113 220 0565