Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions wave 135

These questions are for Wave 135 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on 16 June 2025. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Which of the following statements best describes your business's trading status?               

• Currently fully trading  

• Currently partially trading           

• Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks        

• Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks       

• Permanently ceased trading

Which of the following factors, if any, is your business concerned about impacting supply chains over the next 12 months? 

• Artificial Intelligence 

• Climate change 

• Cyber attacks 

• Increased barriers to trade 

• International conflict 

• Market distorting practices 

• Sanctions 

• Shipping disruption 

• Other 

• Not sure 

• Business is not concerned about factors impacting supply chains over the next 12 months 

How does your business expect these factors to impact supply chains? 

• Increased costs of sourcing materials 

• Increased labour costs 

• Increased transportation costs 

• Shortage of inputs 

• Other 

• Not sure 

• Business does not expect these factors to impact supply chains 

Which of the following actions, if any, did your business take to increase supply chain resilience in the last 12 months? 

• Demand management 

• Diversification of suppliers across a broader range of countries 

• Improved relationships with key suppliers 

• Increased awareness of supply chains 

• Onshoring 

• Relocated existing sourcing to another country 

• Stockpiling and surge capacity 

• Other 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable 

Which of the following actions, if any, does your business plan to take to increase supply chain resilience over the next 12 months? 

• Demand management 

• Diversification of suppliers across a broader range of countries 

• Improve relationships with key suppliers 

• Increase awareness of supply chains 

• Onshoring 

• Relocate existing sourcing to another country 

• Stockpiling and surge capacity 

• Other 

• Not sure 

• Not applicable

Is your business concerned about the impact climate change may have on the business? 

• Yes, very concerned 

• Yes, somewhat concerned 

• No, not concerned 

• Not sure 

Which of the following actions, if any, has your business taken to protect the environment? 

• Has a climate change strategy  

• Has a net zero or greenhouse gas emissions target  

• Has a net zero or greenhouse gas emissions target which includes supply chain  

• Has a nature or biodiversity strategy  

• Has a nature or biodiversity target  

• Has a nature or biodiversity target which includes supply chain  

• Monitors climate-related risks  

• Monitors nature or biodiversity-related risks  

• Publishes an annual sustainability report  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• None of the above 

Which of the following actions, if any, has your business taken to reduce carbon emissions? 

• Adjusting heating and cooling systems  

• Electrifying your vehicle fleet  

• Installing a smart meter  

• Installing charging points  

• Installing your own renewable electricity or heating  

• Insulating your buildings  

• Introducing a cycle to work scheme  

• Switching to LED bulbs  

• Other 

• Not sure  

• No actions have been taken to reduce emissions 

For which, if any, of the following effects of climate change has your business assessed risks? 

• Coastal erosion 

• Increased flooding 

• Supply chain disruption and distribution 

• Temperature increases 

• Water scarcity 

• Not sure 

• None of the above 

Which, if any, of the following effects of climate change has your business taken action to adapt to? 

• Coastal erosion 

• Increased flooding 

• Supply chain disruption and distribution 

• Temperature increases 

• Water scarcity 

• Not sure 

• None of the above 

Which, if any, of the following reasons have prevented your business from taking action against any of these climate change effects? 

• Business has been unable to take action due to costs 

• Business has been unable to take action due to lack of information or guidance 

• Business does not expect to be impacted by these effects 

• Other 

• Not sure 

• Business has not been prevented from taking action 

Which of the following severe weather events, if any, has your business been impacted by in the last 12 months? 

• Flooding 

• Increased temperatures or heat  

• Storm 

• Water shortage or drought  

• Other 

• Not sure  

• Business has not been impacted by any severe weather events 

How has your business been impacted by severe weather events in the last 12 months? 

• Disruption to global supply chains  

• Disruption to local supply chains  

• Employee absence  

• Weather related damage to physical infrastructure 

• Other 

• Not sure

Which of the following artificial intelligence technologies, if any, does your business currently use? 

• Autonomous vehicles  

• Data processing using machine learning  

• Image processing using machine learning  

• Robotics 

• Text generation using Large Language Models  

• Visual content creation  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• Business does not currently use artificial intelligence technologies 

What does your business currently use artificial intelligence technologies for? 

• Develop a new product or service  

• Explore a new market  

• Improve business operations  

• Provide, or personalise, products or services to customers  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• Not applicable 

How did your business adopt these artificial intelligence technologies? 

• Developed in-house 

• Outsourced to external providers or third parties  

• Through purchase of external software or ready-to-use  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• Not applicable 

Which of the following artificial intelligence technologies, if any, does your business plan to adopt within the next three months? 

• Autonomous vehicles  

• Data processing using machine learning  

• Image processing using machine learning  

• Robotics  

• Text generation using Large Language Models  

• Visual content creation  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• Business does not plan to adopt artificial intelligence technologies in the next three months 

What does your business plan to adopt artificial intelligence technologies for? 

• Develop a new product or service  

• Explore a new market  

• Improve business operations  

• Provide, or personalise, products or services to customers  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• Not applicable 

In the last three months, which of the following factors, if any, have prevented or delayed your business from adopting artificial intelligence technologies? 

• Cost  

• Difficulty identifying business use cases 

• Employee concern about any potential impact of using artificial intelligence technologies  

• Level of expertise in artificial intelligence 

• Product or service availability  

• Security concerns  

• Uncertainty about government regulations or industry standards  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• Business has not attempted to use artificial intelligence technologies 

• Business has not been prevented or experienced delays in the adoption of artificial intelligence technologies

Has long do you expect your business's cash reserves will last? 

• Less than one month 

• One to three months 

• Four to six months 

• More than six months 

• Not sure 

• Business has no cash reserves 

What is your business's risk of insolvency? 

• Severe risk 

• Moderate risk 

• Low risk 

• No risk 

• Not sure 

• The business is insolvent 

How much confidence does your business have that it will meet its current debt obligations? 

• High confidence 

• Moderate confidence 

• Low confidence 

• No confidence 

• Not sure  

• Business does not have any debt obligations

Does your business offer additional support to employees who are unpaid carers, beyond the statutory week of unpaid carer's leave? 

• Yes 

• No 

• Not sure 

What additional support does your business offer to employees who are unpaid carers? 

• Access to advisory services 

• Employee peer support group 

• Flexible working arrangements 

• Line manager training on how to support unpaid carers 

• Paid leave up to one week in a 12 month period 

• Paid leave of more than one week in a 12 month period 

• Unpaid leave of more than one week in a 12 month period 

• Other 

• Not sure 

Has your business made permanent changes to any employees' employment contracts in the last 12 months? 

• Yes 

• No 

• Not sure 

How did your business change employees' employment contracts in the last 12 months? 

• Through consultation, negotiation and voluntary agreement with employees 

• Through consultation, negotiation and agreement with trade unions 

• Through contract variation clauses 

• Through dismissing employees and rehiring them on new employment contract terms 

• Through dismissing employees and hiring new employees on new employment contract terms 

• Other 

• Not sure 

• Prefer not to say

What impact, if any, did the United States tariffs have on your business in the last month?  

• Business experienced additional costs 

• Business explored new export markets  

• Business passed additional costs to customers 

• Business stopped or paused exports to the United States  

• Increased competition   

• Increased demand  

• Reduced demand  

• Supply chain disruption  

• Other

• Not sure  

• No impact on the business  

What impact, if any, do you expect the United States tariffs to have on your business in the next month?  

• Business will absorb additional costs 

• Business will explore new export markets  

• Business will pass additional costs to customers 

• Business will stop or pause exports to the United States  

• Increased competition  

• Increased demand  

• Reduced demand  

• Supply chain disruption  

• Other  

• Not sure  

• No impact expected for the business

Please tell us anything else about your business's current situation relating to topics covered in this survey

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