10 | SE100 DATA REPORT
FIGURE 4: HAS TURNOVER GROWN, REMAINED CONSISTENT OR
DECLINED?
SE100
Businesses with employees
Businesses without employees
60
50
respondents
More enterprises on the Index are
growing rather than shrinking: 57%
reported a growth in their turnover on
the previous year, just under 2% said their
turnover was consistent and just under
42% reported a decline in turnover.
To offer a comparison (figure 4), the
government has collected data about more
than 15,000 small and medium sized
businesses (which include charities and
social enterprises) through its Longitudinal
Small Business Survey. The latest research,
published in May 2016, shows that, of
businesses with employees, 38% reported
growth in turnover, 41% were consistent
and 17% had a decline. Of businesses with no
employees, 25% had greater turnover, 50%
were consistent and 23% had declined.
There are hundreds of different stories
behind these figures. If we focus on the
100 fastest growers we can see enormous
differences between types and sizes of
organisations. For example, The Rare Trust,
which provides performing arts training
for young disadvantaged people, grew its
turnover by more than 5,600% by increasing
grants along with generating more of its
own income from its charitable activities.
Social housing provider Peabody
Enterprises grew its turnover by 1,600%
to £211m due to a rise in its commercial
activities and property sales.
The Peel Insitute, which provides
activities for vulnerable people and groups
in the London boroughs of Islington,
Camden and the City of London, saw its
turnover rise by nearly 2,000%. Its trustees
explain in the accounts that the organisation
was operating against a backdrop of
reductions in public spending and, at the
same time, running more activities away
from its main centre. The main premises
were no longer fit for purpose, so a
decision was taken to “re-boot the charity
financially” by selling its building. This
generated £8.6m to be reinvested back into
its work – including allowing it