After a few years of turmoil for businesses and individuals alike, the world is finally starting to look a little more stable. And business owners feel that way, too; in our 2025 survey, an overwhelming 96% of business owners said they felt optimistic about their business succeeding in 2025. By contrast, just 77% said the same the previous year. This is likely due to the formation of a new government, decreased stress, and feeling more prepared to embrace AI.

Four years ago this month, we were all given our first ‘work from home’ mandate. A clear, unambiguous instruction from the UK government that, in the grip of a quickly spreading global pandemic, we should all work from home where possible.

The UK economy is undoubtedly on shaky ground. We may have narrowly avoided the quicksand of a recession in 2023, but as we head toward the inevitable downturn that awaits us in 2024, the urge to panic becomes ever more overwhelming.

Recession forecasts have dominated headlines recently, following falls in house prices and factory output across the UK. These headlines can be worrying for business leaders and staff members alike — so it’s important that we prepare our teams for these turbulent times.