Small businesses in South Australia are the least optimistic of all states on the outlook for the national economy, a new survey has found.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia survey shows that nationally, 92 per cent of respondents are concerned about access to equity capital, while 85 per cent are concerned about debt finance.
The survey also says only 22 per cent of SA's small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) see the economic outlook as strong, compared with 31 per cent nationally.
"This is a huge concern to the SME sector – banks and venture capitalists are not meeting that need," ICAA's SME spokeswoman Sue Prestney said.
It also says the state's SMEs view rising interest rates as the biggest economic threat, while 98 per cent are concerned about the impact of federal tax compliance costs.
