Is recession over? What does this mean for business finance?

According to the economists, the latest figures showing 0.1% growth over the last quarter means, officially, yes, recession is over. However, this is not as clear cut as it may seem. Whilst the numbers may indicate the first growth in 15 months, the actual percentage growth was predicted to be higher, around 0.4%. Economists still predict that it could take up to a further two years to see the UK economy return to anything like that of pre-recession 2007. This, coupled with the potential threat of increases in tax and national insurance contributions, mean many SME’s are still either struggling, anxious or extremely cautious about where this could leave them in the short to mid term, and feel let down by the lack of support offered by banks and the Government