Azets: UK SME powerhouse too big to fail Verdict Staff April 8, 2021 (Last Updated April 8th, 2021 13:19) Share Article On 12 April, non-essential retail, gyms, hairdressers, and outdoor hospitality businesses will be allowed to reopen as the nationwide lockdown is eased further. Azets partner and SME specialist Donald Boyd said: “In 2008 certain banks were too big to fail. And now the SME powerhouse of the UK is too big to fail as a result of the pandemic. We’re all breathing a sigh of relief as some semblance of normality resumes, but businesses reopening face many uncertainties. “We hear from SME clients across all industries that their main worries include: Retail desperately trying to transition from bricks and mortar to omnichannel while demand has tanked; hospitality and tourism dealing with a customer demand wasteland through social distancing, movement restrictions and changed attitudes; manufacturers and exporters struggling with supply chain restrictions and wholesale Brexit uncertainty; technology and global businesses facing decreased demand and investment as the globe plunges through recession and skills shortages through Brexit and Covid international immobility.