A new poll of small businesses has found that around three quarters of them have plans to add to their staff during the course of this year, with confidence levels for the future having risen thanks to the vaccine news.

This poll was carried out by the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Starling Bank, and the results show that 77% of the small firms that took part are intending to bring in more employees this year. Furthermore, four out of every 10 firms that participated in the survey said they hoped to begin hiring during the first quarter of the year.

The companies involved were questioned about their recruitment plans before the vaccine developed by Oxford/AstraZeneca was officially approved for use by the medicines regulator, but after news about it had broken. This suggests that it had an impact on rising small business confidence, but that this may have improved again since, with the vaccine now ready for use.

Speaking to City AM, the Starling Bank CEO and founder Anne Boden said:

“As we head into the New Year it’s great to see the continued resilience and optimism of many British business owners who have been hit very hard by the pandemic.”

Getting advice from a small business accountant in Goole or whatever region they are located in is another step many such firms have taken to boost their confidence during the crisis.

The results of this research will surprise many within the business sector, as a serious recession is anticipated this year.