Latest Articles on Business Risks

Large law firms are reducing payments to partners in a clear sign the sector is struggling with the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic. While the most prominent law firms have the cash reserves to mitigate the damage – at least for a while – many small and medium-sized firms are in a precarious position. We take a look at the risks to law firms and how data can help manage those risks.

As an increasing number of firms indicate high levels of financial distress, business asset prices are being undermined and look set to collapse. The economy is grinding to a halt, leading to an oversupply of assets with no willing buyers.

As the government communication changes from “stay home” to “stay alert” the message to business is clear: get back to work. With the UK economy facing a once-in-a-generation recession, getting back to work is a huge challenge for many companies.

Last year, we reported that over 490,000 UK businesses were in significant financial distress – that’s 14% of all UK companies.

Of those, we’d expect up to 4% to fail, leaving the UK economy with over £4.3bn in bad debt.
We reported this during a period of some uncertainty – Brexit and political instability was damaging consumer confidence and impacting UK markets.

130,262 London businesses are now in significant financial distress, compared to 123,163 during the same period in 2019 – that’s a 6% increase. The analysis of businesses from Q1 this year shows that the 12-month increase in the number of businesses at serious risk of failure in the capital was just above the national average growth of 5%.

The COVID-19 crisis is having a devastating impact on the world’s economy and creating uncertainty that could last for many years.

Some businesses will be more vulnerable than others – the difference between weathering the economic storm and going bust will come down to factors like debt level and management competence, as well as the stability of suppliers and customers.

During Q1 2020, the number of UK companies experiencing significant financial distress exceeded the half a million mark for the first time since our research began.

Our latest figures show a 3% quarterly increase in the number of companies that are unable to meet their debts—that’s 15,000 businesses, representing the largest increase since the end of 2017.

The precarious financial position of high street stalwart Clintons was bolstered somewhat last month after a pre-agreed deal with its existing US owners bought it out of administration, safeguarding 2,500 jobs. However, the card and gift retailer remains on shaky ground and is still a long way off from returning to profitability.