Close to half of UK SMEs say that they struggle with cash flow issues, according to a new report published shortly before the government announced significant reforms to the UK’s late payment laws.

According to new research from Shawbrook, 46 per cent of SMEs said that cash flow issues were primarily the result of increasing costs, while 37 per cent said that late payments from clients and customers were a major factor.

The research came shortly before the government unveiled sweeping changes to late payment laws as part of its “Plan for Change”. The crackdown on late payments is designed to ensure the UK has the toughest legislation on the issue of all G7 nations.

Late payments are estimated to cost the UK economy £11 billion each year and lead to the closure of around 38 businesses every day. Under the proposed reforms, there will be a mandatory maximum payment term of 60 days, later to be cut to 45 days.

A 30-day invoice verification period will also be enforced in order to accelerate dispute resolutions. Corporate audit committees, meanwhile, will be legally required to examine their payment practice payments at board level, with late payers facing mandatory interest charges.

The reforms will be enforced by new powers granted to the Small Business Commissioner. Under these powers, the Small Business Commissioner will be able to conduct spot checks and impose significant fines on large businesses that are persistently late in making payments to suppliers.

The new measures could provide a significant and much needed boost to the UK’s population of SMEs, with the Shawbrook research laying bare the scale of the cash flow problems that many small businesses face.

According to the report, around one-in-10 owners have considered closing their small business as a result of cash flow issues. Aside from rising costs and late payments, other factors that respondents cited as affecting their cash flow included slow sales (27 per cent), unexpected expenses (26 per cent), volatility or seasonality in sales (25 per cent) and complex supply chains (23 per cent).

The survey also showed the stresses that cash flow issues can place on businesses. 38 per cent said that it was impacting them and their senior management, while approximately one-in-five said that their own mental health had been affected and close to a third were concerned about the effect on staff morale.

30 per cent of respondents said that cash flow issues had forced their business to delay growth plans and 27 per cent struggled to access funding. 28 per cent of senior figures revealed that they had used their own funds to pick up business expenses and 32 per cent had considered a business loan.

Shawbrook’s Chief Banking Officer in Commercial Neil Rudge said: “An essential aspect of keeping a business afloat is cash flow, ensuring you have enough working capital for processes to run smoothly, pay wages, and cover expenses.”

“But in times of economic uncertainty, this can be beyond the control of businesses, and we’re seeing this take effect globally, with many organisations having to make challenging decisions in order to remain solvent.”

Rudge said that businesses “should remain resolute and seek support where they can”, adding that finance “can play a crucial role in helping businesses manage cash-flow.”

He continued: “Products such as asset-based lending and invoice financing, for example, allow businesses to smooth out their cash flow, creating more room for investment into the business.”