A new report looking at how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK coped with the Covid-19 crisis has found that many turned to local sources to help them survive.

This report by the CitySprint delivery firm shows that 64% more UK SMEs looked to suppliers and partners in the same locale as themselves to get the help required to weather the crisis, in comparison with the previous year.

A further 45% of the SMEs that participated in the study stated that partnering with local firms was more important to them now, with 82% indicating that they expected their businesses to be boosted by these partnerships during the next year.

The CitySprint report also provides firm evidence that opting to collaborate with other local firms has worked for these companies, revealing that SMEs that did so had higher levels of confidence about the future and greater financial health. There is little doubt that being able to call on local financial advice, such as from accountants in Goole for firms based in that region, makes SMEs better able to survive crisis periods.

Speaking to 365 Retail, CitySprint’s Commercial Director, Rosie Bailey, said that SMEs were showing signs of greater optimism as the pandemic starts to recede, adding:

“This local-level support has clearly been critical to helping them navigate the challenges and hurdles of recent months. Long may this local collaboration continue.”

The SMEs that took part in the report suggested that additional government support, locally targeted, would help them most in trying to grow.