THE current uncertainty surrounding the path to Brexit appears to be doing little to dent the confidence of Wiltshire business owners.

Nearly two-thirds - 59 per cent - of business owners polled in a survey by BCMS at an event at the Swindon Marriott last week claimed they were confident about growth in the British economy during 2017, with just 22 per cent lacking confidence.

Although the Centre For Economics And Business Research forecasts countrywide growth will halve in 2017 compared to 2016, Swindon appears to be defying the national picture with a healthy economic performance. With 8,100 new jobs being created in the town since 2010, unemployment is at an all-time low of 1.3 per cent.

Furthermore, with more than 4,400 apprenticeships being created in Swindon since 2010, prospects for young workers are also favourable – and it appears that these factors are helping to instil confidence.

When business owners were questioned about what they feel currently added the most value to their business, the top answer was a quality, loyal customer base, suggesting order book levels are healthy, with 30 per cent of those surveyed electing this as their top answer. Many business owners are seeing a spike in orders from abroad as foreign customers seek to exploit the cheap pound.

Rather than being a hindrance to business growth, Brexit appears to be providing a stimulus for growth to many businesses.

BCMS reports an increased interest in buying businesses since the Brexit vote – particularly from overseas buyers: the number of offers received for businesses since the vote to leave the EU rose by 54 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year.

This, combined with the positive sentiment received from the local survey, gives BCMS confidence that it will continue to see an outperformance by businesses in and around the Swindon area.

Dave Rebbettes, BCMS’ founding director, who presented the Swindon event, said: “BCMS runs masterclasses for business owners up and down the country. , and we try to survey attendees to understand the challenges and demands they face on a day-to-day basis.

“The picture around Swindon is fascinating, demonstrating a confidence and positivity not often reported in the national business media.”

BCMS has represented a number of business owners in the Wiltshire region, and high-profile past deals include the sale of Trowbridge-based MPC Data to Bsquare Corporation, and DW Dunn to Swindon Commercial Services.