Small business confidence takes a record nosedive due to COVID-19
Business confidence has plummeted according to the latest Sensis Business Index which interviewed over a thousand small to medium companies in March. The survey reported a 53 point drop in confidence levels over a ten-day period. Even before the lockdown, the survey found small businesses were feeling stressed from everyday pressure and the summer’s devastating bushfires. The COVID-19 lockdown only exacerbated the small business sector’s sour outlook on the future.
“Australia’s small businesses were feeling the squeeze before the impact of the coronavirus hit,” said Sensis CEO John Allan. “But the massive fall in confidence in just a matter of 14 days, while not a surprise, was the fastest drop in the 25-year history of the survey”.