Brighter outlook for small hospitality firms

Prospects are looking up for small hotels, restaurants and hospitality businesses in the UK, according to a survey from office supplies firm Office World.

In a general poll of owner-managers of small firms, more than half (53.7%) of those from the hospitality sector said they expected sales to increase in the three months to the end of June.

This compared with just less than 10% expecting sales to fall.

Nearly one in five (18.6%) expected to take on more staff, against just 2.3% expecting to shed workers.

More than half (56.1%) expected profits to increase over the period, while 12.2% thought they would fall.

The positive outlook was based on a strong first three months to the year.

Some 44% of small hospitality firms had seen sales increase, and one in three had grown their profits.

Sales fell in 20.5% of firms and profits in 28.2%.

Employment was up in 16.7% but fell in 14.3%.

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