It is not just the weather in the UK that has been getting warmer, with the obligatory occasional thunderstorm, but the Ashes cricket looks like becoming more challenging for England, and possibly the economy is warming too.

Recent economic news suggests that the slow road out of recession may be progressing with business confidence higher, fund managers being optimistic, (despite the worries on the Chinese economic slowdown), and possibly more enthusiasm to spend by consumers. The latter has however to be tempered with a survey indicating that nearly half of UK adults are having more financial problems in paying monthly bills and not saving for emergency costs. The previous survey in 2006 says this only affected around a third of people.

If you are an SME business that has managed through the last five years; retaining key customers and suppliers, keeping staff motivated and successfully planning or implementing auto enrolment or your own company pension scheme, now may be the time to take the business forward again.

·        Have you reviewed your strategic business plan recently?

·        Do you know where you want the business to be in the next two to five years?

·        Are your operations, support functions, IT systems and business process optimised?

MW Interim Finance provides an independent and objective senior finance and commercially focused resource to work with SME’s in both the development and implementation of strategic and operational objectives to achieve business growth in the short to medium term. Contact martin.walby@mwinterimfinance.co.uk or visit our website www.mwinterimfinance.co.uk.