17 Jun 2020Research carried out by banking group Aldermore has suggested that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK expect to borrow £48.3 billion once the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown ends. Three in five SMEs stated that they expect to borrow £65,000 in the year following the COVID-19 pandemic. The research also revealed that a third of SMEs believe that good communication with their clients will help get their business back on track after the lockdown. Meanwhile, 25% of SMEs polled said that receiving ongoing government support will be beneficial to their business. Commenting on the research, Tim Boag, Group Managing Director of Business Finance at Aldermore, said: 'Helping SMEs recover following the pandemic will be crucial to the economic future of the UK. As our research has shown, SME income has been hit hard by COVID-19, with many having borrowed funds in order to survive, and with some expecting to continue to do so in the year ahead.'