The Q3 2017 SME Health Check Index finds that:
- SME Health Check Index falls to lowest level since January 2014 - falling from 56.3 in Q2 of 2017 to 46.9 in Q3
- Six out of eight Index measures have worsened in last quarter - employment, revenue, confidence and net business creation indicators are all down
- SME business costs increased by 2.5% this quarter, with many SMEs unable or unwilling to pass this cost on to customers
- Business confidence among SMEs at lowest level since EU Referendum
- The North East, West Midlands and Yorkshire experienced the sharpest declines in their quarter-on-quarter performance
