Overall, Lincolnshire businesses have enjoyed a positive start to 2017, albeit with some mixed performance figure across sectors and markets. This first quarter of 2017 has seen confidence levels in both future turnover levels and profitability improve across Services and Manufacturing. This is despite a fall in domestic sales performance for Services, and a decrease in performance for both sectors in overseas markets. Inflation is now the key concern for businesses with over half stating that they under pressure to raise prices due to the costs of raw materials. Since the last briefing, Article 50 has now been triggered, which means that the next two years are the key time frame in which the countries position on future trading and relationships with the rest of the world will be set out. As such, we would like to remind businesses of the importance of responding to the QES and providing their views on local conditions, ensuring that local and national policy is influenced to benefit Lincolnshire as well as the UK.

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