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Inaugural
Small Business & Enterprise Barometer 2025
in collaboration with Enterprise Northern Ireland

300%
The Community Enterprise Association Ireland (CEAI) is delighted to launch its first Small Business & Enterprise Barometer, designed to capture the voices of entrepreneurs and business managers across Ireland. This survey offers an opportunity for you to share your experiences, challenges and priorities and by taking part, you are contributing to shaping strategies and initiatives which will directly benefit local economies in the future.
Survey Disclaimer Statement
By completing this survey, you confirm that you understand its purpose and consent to the use of your responses within the context of this survey exercise. Participation is entirely voluntary and if you do choose to participate, then the information you provide will be used solely for research and analysis purposes within the context of this survey. All responses will be treated in strict confidence and handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Acts 1988–2018. No personally identifiable information will be published or shared with third parties. For any queries regarding data protection or how your responses will be used, please send a message to info@ceai.ie
1.How is your business performing currently?
2.How have the following aspects of your business changed over the last year?
Increased
Stayed largely the same
Decreased
Not applicable
Turnover
Profit
Employee Numbers
3.Is the cost of doing business an issue at present?
4.On average, over the past twelve months how much has the cost of doing business increased in the following areas:
No change
1% - 10%
11% - 30%
31% - 50%
51%+
Not Applicable
Utilities (gas/oil/electric)
Raw materials and/or stock
Property costs
Cost of borrowing and/or financing
Cost of compliance and regulations
Wages
Cost of insurance
5.How would you describe the current cash flow position of your business?
6.If weak/critical, what factors are causing this? Please select all that apply.
7.Is your business presently using any of the following finance options? Please select all that apply.
8.Have you experienced any difficulties or barriers (actual or perceived) when accessing finance in the last twelve months?
9.If yes, please outline any difficulties or barriers (actual or perceived) you have experienced in the last twelve months?
10.How would you describe the current level of debt in your business?
11.Are you likely to require additional financing for your business, during the next twelve months? If No, please skip to Q15.
12.What type of finance do you anticipate accessing in the next twelve months? Please select all that apply.
13.What do you plan to use the finance for, over the next twelve months? Please select all that apply.
14.How confident are you that you will be able to access additional financing for your business?
15.How do you anticipate your business will perform during the year ahead?
16.How concerned are you about the following during the year ahead?
Not Concerned
Concerned
Very Concerned
Not Applicable
Trying to get/ retain suitably skilled staff
Having to lay off staff
Increased staff wages
General cost of doing business (Including taxes (VAT), insurance, rates, etc)
Cost of debt
Increased energy costs
Increased cost of goods and services
Making sales
Accessing supplies / supply chain disruptions / logistics
Not getting paid by customers/debtors
Having to increase prices
Cyber security and privacy
External / international factors
17.Do you plan to grow your business over the next twelve months?
18.If no, please indicate why not?
19.In terms of your sales/customers, do you
20.Productivity, put simply, is about the effective and efficient use of all the resources in a business/organisation. How would you rate your business in terms of the following:
Poor
Just Satisfactory
Good
Very Good
Excellent
Not Applicable
Staff productivity/performance
Technology adoption
Operating efficiency (use of resources, systems and procedures)
Quality of what your business produces/provides (goods/services)
Staff skills
Physical space your business is located in
Overall productivity
21.Do you currently have:
22.If you have persistent and hard-to-fill, vacancies, what impact does that have on business operations? Please select all that apply.
23.To what extent are you finding it difficult to find the right skills for your business?
24.Would you consider taking on an apprenticeship?
25.If no, please indicate why not. Please select all that apply.
26.What skills areas do you feel your business is in most need of development? Please select all that apply.
27.How confident are you that you know where and how to access the right skills development support for your business?
28.Has your business engaged with advice/support from any of the following over the last 12 months? Please select all that apply.
29.Highlight the one most important area of support that you need for your business now.
30.What type of support would work best for you? Select all that apply.
31.What single initiative or service should the Irish government introduce to better assist businesses?
32.How has the following impacted your business?
Positively
Negatively
Neither
Not Sure
Not Applicable
Brexit- trade with Great Britain
Brexit - trade with Northern Ireland
US tariff announcements/deals
33.Would you like to expand on your response above?
34.What is your current turnover?
35.How would you define your business structure?
36.Is your business: Please select all that apply.
37.What is your role within the business?
38.What is the gender of the business owner/s or self-employed individual? Please state the number in each case.
39.How many people does your business employ, if any?
40.What Local Authority area is your business based?
41.Which of the following is your business located in? Please select all that apply.
42.Which of the following best describes how your business and its employees currently work?
(Please select the option that applies most closely.)
43.Is your business located in a:
44.How is the Wi-Fi bandwidth serving your business presently?
45.What is your main business sector?
46.Is your business registered for VAT?
47.How long has your business been established?
48.Would you consider your business to be a family run business?
49.Which of the following best describes your ethnicity:
50.Which age bracket are you in, as the business owner/leader?
51.Contact Information
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your participation in the CEAI Small Business & Enterprise Barometer 2025 is invaluable to us and by sharing your insights and experience, your input will directly contribute to shaping strategies and initiatives that can drive positive change in local communities across Ireland.