A 2026 Crystal Ball for Business

Nikki Neale • August 18, 2025

The surveys say SMEs are resilient - and we are. According to The Times, 68% of SME leaders are feeling confident and believe their businesses can withstand “further shocks”. And let’s face it, over the last few years we’ve weathered some: Covid lockdowns, inflation spikes, energy costs, supply chain crunches, Liz Truss (!), and a tech hype cycle that promised the world and often delivered more disruption than clarity.

Our work with SMEs tells us something more nuanced than the headline suggests: we can survive another storm, but we don’t want to. Constant firefighting is unsustainable.

We’ve run Perspective Analysis with SMEs for the past five years. It’s our diagnostic that reviews businesses across 180 data points, highlighting where we thrive and where we struggle. Layer that with the wider trend data we track, and a picture starts to form of the issues we’ll all be facing in 2026.

And despite all the noise, this isn’t about AI. AI is a tool for the future, not the be-all and end-all. The fundamentals that will make or break us are much more human: planning, leadership, people, money, and the capacity to keep moving without burning out.

When your leadership plate is already full, these are the fundamentals we believe will make the difference in 2026.

1. Planning as a Living Process

Too many of us still spend months producing static, 50-page plans that end up on a shelf. Some set ambitious sales targets but leave out the actions that would make them real. Others simply roll from year end to year start as if nothing has changed. None of it works.

What we’ve seen instead and what will define the most successful SMEs in 2026 is a shift to shorter planning cycles. Quarterly or six-monthly reviews anchored in a long-term vision, not just an annual ritual. This rhythm makes us more resilient to our business specific shocks like sudden cost hikes or a key person leaving; the kind of changes that barely dent corporates but can throw SMEs off balance.

Research shows that companies revisiting strategy quarterly are three and a half times more likely to report above-average growth. That’s the difference between a plan as a document and a plan as a living process.

Question to ask ourselves: How often are we really stepping back to check if our plan still fits the reality we’re in?

2. Execution Gaps

Strategies rarely fail because they’re bad. They fail because they never get delivered. We see this execution gap everywhere: visionary leaders running ahead of their teams, boards that don’t translate decisions down a level, or leaders who underestimate the communication skills needed to bring people with them.

Calling these “soft skills” undersells their importance. In a world where tech can automate processes but can’t inspire or align people, the ability to translate strategy is non-negotiable. McKinsey estimate that 70% of strategies fail in execution, and poor communication is one of the main reasons.

For SMEs, where layers of management are thin or absent, that failure rate could feel even harsher.

Question to ask ourselves: What’s the biggest reason our strategy might die between the boardroom and the front line?

3. Capacity Reality Checks

Most of us are already running at full tilt. 62% of SMEs see staffing and capacity as their biggest barrier to growth and it shows. Ideas for growth sound simple ‘in the room’ when they’re devised but once broken down into working days they pile onto already stretched teams.

AI may ease some of the load, but it also tempts us into over-committing, assuming the tech can carry more than it really does. The real competitive edge in 2026 will be the businesses that honestly measure capacity, set realistic plans, and protect the human energy that makes execution possible.

Question to ask ourselves: Do we actually know our team’s capacity or are we just piling more on and hoping it sticks?

4. Short-Termism Risk

After years of reacting to crisis after crisis, it’s no surprise that short-termism takes hold. Economic uncertainty keeps pulling us into tactical, quarter-by-quarter decision-making. Too often, “vision” is treated as a marketing strapline rather than the driver of the business. The result is fragmented focus: chasing sales without really understanding why customers buy, hustling to survive without pausing to think.

The British Business Bank found in 2025 that almost half of UK SMEs set their planning horizons at 12 months or less. That may feel safe, but in practice it means firefighting instead of steering.

Question to ask ourselves: What’s the anchor that will keep us from reacting our way through 2026?

5. Financial Fluency

The ability to read the P&L isn't absent in SMEs, but it is often a weak spot as it’s not our first love. Finance functions can lean towards control rather than ambition, and many leaders are not fully confident on the basics of margin, cash flow, and pricing.

Pricing too often finger-in-the-air when it should be treated as part of the marketing strategy (honestly – marketing isn’t just about your social media channels).

And cash can be overestimated or underestimated in equal measure - sometimes treated as the only thing that matters, other times ignored until it’s too late.

Finance will continue to be one of the biggest fault lines. CB Insights analysis shows that 82% of small business failures are linked to cash flow mismanagement. In a climate where shocks to costs and sales are still likely, financial fluency will be the dividing line between resilience and fragility.

Question to ask ourselves: Do we, as leaders, really understand the numbers that matter or are we still outsourcing confidence to finance?

6. Key Figure Reliance

It isn’t just founders. Any SME leaning too heavily on one key individual - the founder, the MD, or the star operator - will remain brittle. When that person is absent, fatigued, or distracted, everything wobbles: decisions slip, people get unmanaged, balls get dropped.

PwC’s Family Business Survey found that 58% of SMEs have no succession plan in place. That number underlines the risk: relying on one person to hold everything together is not a strategy. After years of survival being carried on individual shoulders, 2026 must be the year where leadership depth becomes a priority.

Question to ask ourselves: If our key person walked away tomorrow, what would actually break?

7. People Strategy as Core Strategy

Hiring, culture, capability-building, mentoring and coaching are moving from “HR admin” to the heart of the business plan. In SMEs, where every hire counts and culture is set by how we work together, these choices directly shape performance.

AI is already taking a dagger and a scythe to whole industries, stripping out roles, processes and in some cases entire business models. That makes taking care of people non-negotiable. If technology is redefining what jobs look like, we must keep our people skilled, engaged and clear about where they fit in the future.

The CIPD’s Learning at Work report found SMEs investing in training see productivity rise by nearly a quarter compared to peers who don’t. That’s why in 2026, people strategy won’t be optional. It will be the strategy. Especially after years of attrition, fatigue and pressure, keeping people engaged and capable is the only way through.

Question to ask ourselves: How are we deliberately building capability and resilience in our people, not just relying on goodwill to carry us through?

8. Change Fatigue

Covid, inflation, energy shocks, supply chain crunches, tech hype - the past four years have been relentless. Teams have adapted again and again, but resilience has a limit. We’re already seeing the drag of constant pivots and restructures.

Deloitte’s 2023 research found that 73% of employees report moderate to high levels of change fatigue. For SMEs, which often move faster and harder than corporates, that fatigue will be even sharper in 2026. After so many storms, leaders who don’t acknowledge fatigue risk disengagement that no amount of resilience can patch over.

Question to ask ourselves: Can we tell the difference between a team that’s adapting and a team that’s simply exhausted?

9. Scenario Planning Becomes Normal

Hope is not a strategy. After a string of shocks, contingency planning is becoming normal in SMEs, not just something large corporates do. “What if” scenarios around losing a client, costs doubling, or a supplier failing are shifting from theoretical to routine.

Barclays’ 2024 SME Pulse reported that the proportion of SMEs with formal contingency plans rose from 26% in 2020 to 45% in 2024. That trend reflects lived experience: after four years of turbulence, none of us want to be caught out again.

Question to ask ourselves: What’s the one “what if” scenario we’re least prepared for and why?

10. Measurement That Moves the Needle

Dashboards aren’t the problem - irrelevant dashboards are. The shift we’re seeing is away from vanity metrics and towards lean, decision-driving indicators. The dashboards that matter in 2026 will be the ones that directly move the needle, not just track activity for the sake of it.

Gartner’s 2023 survey found that 67% of leaders experience “dashboard fatigue” from tracking too many metrics. The lesson for us is clear: measurement only matters if it drives action, especially when the cost of wasted energy is higher than ever.

Question to ask ourselves: Which of our dashboards actually changes decisions and which are just noise?

The Bottom Line

We know SMEs can survive storms - we’ve been doing it for years. But resilience alone is not enough. After years of firefighting, the leaders we see thriving in 2026 will be the ones tackling these fundamentals head-on: keeping planning alive, closing the execution gap, setting realistic capacity, anchoring to vision, building financial fluency, reducing reliance on key figures, making people strategy central, pacing change, planning for scenarios, and measuring what matters.

Because surviving storms is one thing. Choosing not to live in permanent firefighting mode is another.

Feeling stuck, or just a bit off track?

If you want to bake these ten principles into your business but aren’t sure where to start, the answer is focus.

Perspective Analysis Reset Days give you the space to step back, cut through the noise, and work out which priorities will have the biggest impact right now. You’ll leave with a clear, achievable plan you can act on - £1,500 for a full day of clarity and direction.

EMAIL US FOR MORE INFO

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A little more reading.

A love letter to small business and freelancers

By Nikki Neale • July 23, 2025

You are not failing. Even when it feels like it. You’re just in the thick of it. And the thick of it is where most of us spend most of our time - but no one tells you that. You’re told to pick a niche, find your purpose, raise your prices, write a personal brand strategy, become a thought leader, optimise your funnel, outsource your admin, scale faster, scale smaller, scale something. There’s a formula, apparently. But no one seems to want to tell you what it is without paying £27.99 a month and let’s face it, you know it’s crap! Meanwhile, you’re doing strategy one minute and chasing an unpaid invoice the next. You’re fixing the printer. You’re covering reception. You’re trying to forecast VAT payments that land like a piano falling from a window. You feel like you work for HMRC more than you work for yourself. You look around and everyone else seems sorted. Confident. Clear. Making money. You’re wondering if they’re faking it. You’re wondering if you are. And it’s lonely. Deeply, quietly lonely. Even when you have people around you, even when you have a team, even when things are ‘fine’. Because no one else really sees it the way you do. The weight of it. The relentlessness of it. The thousand things a day that pass through your mind that don’t pass through anyone else’s. The pressure to keep it together for everyone else while wondering how long you can do that for. But also: the moments. When it’s flying. When you win something unexpected. When you say something that makes a client’s eyes light up. When you see someone on your team grow. When you remember why you started. When it feels like maybe, just maybe, you’re on to something. Feast and famine. Elation and fear. Boredom and adrenaline. The cycles are weird, and unfair, and rarely make sense. But they’re real. If you’re in a hard patch right now, it doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong. It doesn’t mean you’re not good enough, or smart enough, or ambitious enough. It means you’re doing something difficult and you’re still here. Maybe you don’t need to pivot. Maybe you don’t need to burn it all down. Maybe you just need to take a breath. Look again. Reassess. Strip it back to what matters. And know that this stretch won’t last forever. Running a business is the best and hardest thing you can do. It will teach you more about yourself than you ever asked to learn. And it will stretch you in ways no job ever could. If you’re tired, you’re not weak. If you’re stuck, you’re not broken . If you’re still trying, you’re already doing more than most. We see you. You’re not alone. And even if no one’s said it in a while - you’re doing brilliantly. Love Equipt x

Why great client service isn't about saying yes!

By Nikki Neale • July 9, 2025

Most writing about client service follows the same well-trodden path: say yes more. Smile more. Show up and serve. Think Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton, or any other brand that made its name on “the customer is always right.” And while that works beautifully in retail or hospitality, in a strategic consultancy or marketing agency, it’s completely the wrong model. The best client service doesn’t come from being agreeable. It comes from being useful, honest, commercially aware, sometimes awkward and a little bit brave. SME News just named us Most Innovative Brand Growth Consultancy and gave us an Excellence in Client Impact & Service award, and it’s not because we do whatever we’re asked. It’s because we always try to give the best advice, even when it’s uncomfortable. In honour of our win and for anyone working in or looking for a crack client services team, here’s what we think great client service is really about. Clarity, Not Pleasing Clients don’t need us to agree with them. They need us to make things clear. Clarity is one of the most underrated skills in client service. It means being able to say: here’s what’s in scope, here’s what’s not, here’s what will move the dial, here’s what’s just noise. But to do that well, you need real marketing knowledge and that’s something not every client services person starts with. If you didn’t come from a marketing background or have formal training, it’s on you to learn. Read. Ask questions. Understand the why behind the work. Because without that strategic depth, you risk becoming a project manager, just delivering what the client asked for, rather than what they really need. And right now, that’s a dangerous place to sit. If you’re only executing instructions, AI can do that faster and cheaper. Your value comes from seeing what’s not being said. Reading between the lines. Knowing the market context. Spotting the bigger picture. That’s what clients will pay for and what will set you apart. A brilliant client service lead sets the pace, defines the shape of the work, and keeps everyone pointed in the same direction especially when things get busy or messy! Challenge with Care Good client service means being able to say, “That’s not right.” Internally and externally. Because if we don’t challenge the work, the strategy, or the thinking – who will? Inside the team, that challenge needs to come from a solid place. Not just “the client won’t like blue,” but grounded commercial thinking. If there’s no strong reason to push back, then creative and strategy teams deserve the freedom to be bold and radical. Externally, it’s about equipping the client to be brave, with proof points, with clarity, with the kind of rationale they can use to fight for great work inside their organisation. This is where Radical Candour comes in: care personally, challenge directly. You challenge because you’re invested, because you care enough to stop something going out into the world that isn’t good enough. Junior team members often worry that challenging might upset someone, but real client partnership is about honesty, not harmony. Creative work is a classic example. A client likes two ideas, asks to blend them, and the result is a compromise that feels inoffensive – and completely forgettable. It’s our job to ask the uncomfortable question: “Does this make anyone feel anything?” If it doesn’t, then it’s not doing its job. The role of client service isn’t to protect the relationship at all costs, it’s to protect the impact of the work. When we avoid challenge, we don’t just risk bland output, we also waste time, money, and momentum. Clear, brave, respectful challenge is part of what builds trust. And without it, the work – and the relationship – suffers. Commercial Awareness We’re here to create impact – not just output. For years, agencies have run on time and materials – a model that’s increasingly hard to defend. Not just because it’s clunky or hard to forecast, but because it’s reductive. If someone with 27 years of experience can crack something in a few hours, is that worth less than someone who takes three days? Of course not. But time-based pricing suggests it is. And that’s dangerous – because it erodes the value of experience, judgement, and the very thing clients come to us for. Add to that the fact that most people genuinely don’t know how long things take – a known issue in behavioural science, where planning fallacy and optimism bias skew how we scope, quote, and plan work. And now we’re in a world where systems can do things faster, briefs are changing mid-flight, and the “just get it done” mindset puts pressure on people, not quality. If we don’t reframe how we talk about value, we’ll end up getting cheaper – not better. Commercially aware client service isn’t about becoming salespeople. It’s about getting braver at talking about value. Because yes, clients might say something’s “expensive” – but ask whether it’s worth it, and you’ll often get a different answer. When you can explain why something matters, where it moves the needle, and how it creates return – that’s when trust deepens, budgets unlock, and relationships shift from transactional to strategic. And in marketing especially, this matters more than ever. Because everyone thinks they’ve got a good eye or can use a Canva template, but brand, positioning, strategy and creative direction are serious commercial tools. And when we don’t treat them that way, we end up underpriced, undervalued, and under pressure.

Seven blindspots your SME hasn't seen

By Nikki Neale • July 1, 2025

We’ve spent the last few years analysing SMEs across ten critical areas of growth – from strategy and brand to operations, finance, people and customer experience. It’s part of a tool we built called Perspective Analysis, designed to help businesses grow and build in a more agile, intentional ways. Now that we’ve used it with dozens of founder-led teams, agencies, charities and commercial ventures, the data’s starting to speak. And the same themes keep showing up - they cut across sector, size and leadership style. What’s most interesting is that what holds business back isn’t always obvious, even from the inside. Here are seven of the most common blind spots we’ve uncovered – and what they mean for growth-minded organisations today.

Your brand isn't just a logo – it's your business growth engine

By Becci Pell • June 16, 2025

For many small and medium-sized businesses, 'brand' often stops at logos, colours, or fonts. While these visual elements are crucial, they're only scratching the surface of what your brand truly is and can achieve. In Britain, SMEs represent a staggering 99.8% of all businesses, yet close to 45% unfortunately don't make it past their first five years, which is why it’s critical to build a robust foundation from day one. Shifting our perspective of brand as a mere ‘identity’ to being a strategic and commercial asset, that should weave through every part of business, will help to secure long term success and hopefully beat some of those ‘early days’ odds. Why does this shift in thinking matter so much for long-term growth? It Builds Tangible Value: When you start treating your brand as a commercial asset, something wonderful happens: it’s worth grows! Simply having a consistent presentation across all your platforms can lift your revenue by up to 23%. Strong brands naturally command more market value and can become a real magnet for potential investors. Ultimately, it's about building equity that extends far beyond just your physical assets. It cultivates deep customer loyalty: At its heart, branding is all about building trust and forging a genuine connection. When customers truly trust your brand (roughly 81% need to trust a brand before even considering a purchase), they're far more likely to come back to you repeatedly. Not only do loyal customers spend more, but they're also your biggest cheerleaders, keen to try new offerings and acting as powerful advocates for your business. Just a 5% increase in customer retention can significantly boost profits (normally anywhere between 25-95%!). It Drives Strategic Decisions: When you embrace a commercial view of your brand, it naturally encourages a smarter, data-driven approach. You'll begin tracking how your brand performs, understanding customer sentiment, and pinpointing your market position. This valuable insight unlocks much smarter decisions about your marketing efforts, where you allocate resources, and your overarching business strategy. It Fosters Internal Alignment & Motivation: A strong, clearly defined brand isn't just for your customers; it inspires your team from within. When your employees genuinely understand and believe in your brand's mission and values, they feel a deeper sense of pride and become much more engaged. This, in turn, translates into better performance and an even richer customer experience. It Creates Resilience: Think of a well-established brand as a powerful shield, protecting your business against unexpected market fluctuations and tough competition. It provides the agility to adapt more effectively to changing trends and evolving customer needs, ultimately ensuring long-term sustainability and peace of mind. For any SME aiming for sustained success, embracing this commercial lens for your brand isn't just a nice-to-have – it's fundamental. It's the key that unlocks real growth, builds unwavering loyalty, helps you attract top talent and investment, and ultimately creates a business that's both more resilient and valuable. Your brand is so much more than just how you look; it's how you operate, how you connect, and how you grow. Finally, if you're reading this thinking "it all makes sense but I have no idea where to begin", then get in touch! Our business reset days are designed to help businesses build growth plans, one step at a time. Send us an email