How agile SMEs can rescue 2025 and gear up for a stellar year

It’s July 15, 2025, and if you’re feeling like the year’s already tanked, you’re not alone. 

Q1 and Q2 have been sluggish across the UK. An election, a year ago froze big decisions and our ‘late’ budget that spring iced over what little momentum we’d managed to scrape together.

Large corporates remain in limbo, while SMEs have been buffeted by every passing tide. But the no-nonsense reality is, there’s still an opportunity to flip this year on its head.

Recognise the Freeze and Move Beyond It

Election cycles and budget announcements often trigger “wait and see” modes. It’s the hamster wheel of insanity – round and round without making ground. The smart move? Acknowledge the stall, then ignore it. Instead of staring at shifting sands, build your own bridge across.

Embrace Your Inner Speedboat

Big corporates are like oil tankers: monumental power but glacial pivot speeds. They debate acronyms, committees, sign-off processes. By the time they’re ready, the market’s moved. SMEs, by contrast, are nimble. We can change course mid-wave. That’s your advantage, lean into it.

Hunt New Decision-Makers

If your traditional buyers are dragging their feet, find fresh targets. What adjacent markets are ripe? Which companies are still making swift calls? The goal isn’t just more leads, it’s better leads with the authority to say “yes.”

Triple-Charge the Outreach

– Content: Ramp up social posts. Offer real, actionable insights.
– Email: Get granular, personalise, segment, follow up.
– Calls & Coffee: Rediscover the telephone. Book in-person catch-ups. There’s no substitute for live dialogue.

Refusing to rely solely on digital channels doesn’t make you old-school – it makes you effective.

Strike While Others Snooze

July and August are infamous “business black holes.” Decision-makers escape to beach huts, inboxes clog, and everything grinds to a halt. This is our moment. When everyone else is on holiday, turn the activity dial up to 11. Make more calls, network in the hotel lobby, slide into the LinkedIn DMs with a credible proposition.

Prepare for Selling Season

Selling season traditionally kicks off around the third week of September. Buyers will ask: “Who’s been out there, staying top-of-mind?” If you’ve been the blur of activity all summer, you’ll be the obvious choice when they come looking.

Conclusion

This mid-year lull doesn’t have to define our 2025. SMEs have the agility to outpace the big beasts and claim opportunities they simply can’t and don’t see. 

By hunting new decision-makers, tripling the outreach, and leveraging the quiet months, we set ourselves up for an explosive Q3 & 4 from a seamless transition into selling season.

If this resonates, pick up the phone today, don’t follow the crowd by waiting for next year. 

Let’s make the back half of 2025 a testament to SME grit and hustle.

All the best, JK