One in five say business hit by yob culture

One in five people who responded to an internet survey run by The University of Nottingham Institute for Enterprise and Innovation said that ‘yob culture’ has had a significant impact on their business.

Just over one-fifth of respondents to The UK Business Barometer said the growth of yob culture, as reported in the media, was reflected in their own experiences and affected their business highly or quite highly.

Just over one-third of the respondents (35 per cent) said that yob culture did not have any affect at all on their ability to trade.

Businesses are frequently targeted by criminals but there can be disincentives to reporting crimes, for example, the time taken to do so and the costs of future insurance premia. In the September survey, almost one-third (29 per cent) admitted they had decided against calling the police.

The recent survey also quizzed businesses on whether the mood of the nation following major sporting success translates into the workplace. The recent England success in the Ashes cricket series sparked much discussion and celebration around the country and 49 per cent of respondents felt that national sporting success makes for a more enthusiastic and positive attitude to work. In contrast, 28 per cent thought it made no difference at all.

The survey also turned the spotlight on graduates in business. The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship was formed in 2004 to promote entrepreneurship as a career option to graduates. Entrepreneurship has been a growth area particularly since the launch in 2000 of the Science Enterprise Challenge Initiative, and pioneering courses are helping to bring out the innovation dimension, for example, through the development of creative problem solving skills.

Small businesses were asked for their perceptions of whether recent graduates make promising entrepreneurs and the same question was posed to business advisers in the UKBB’s sister survey, the UK Business Adviser Barometer (UKBAB). There was broad agreement between the two communities. Fifty-one per cent from UKBB and 46 per cent of UKBAB thought they were average, while 12 per cent of UKBB respondents felt they would make promising entrepreneurs. Thirty-seven per cent believed they would be unpromising or very unpromising.

The September survey also posed questions on externally provided business advice, evaluating strategic matters, collateral and A-levels as an indicator of success.

The UK Business Barometer (UKBB) and UK Business Adviser Barometer (UKBAB) operate over the web to generate very rapid results. The surveys have unique software that enables results to be processed and posted on their respective websites immediately they arrive.

The survey results are published monthly and more information, including a press pack, can be found on the web at www.ukbb.ac and www.ukbab.ac Businesses and advisers wishing to contribute as panellists on the project should visit the appropriate Business Barometer website to register.