The 2023 UHY Middle Market Survey Trends Report polled over 250 executives across the
public and private middle market to identify key performance successes, challenges and
priorities businesses may experience throughout 2023.

Key findings include:

• Companies are experiencing more post-pandemic growth than expected, with most
  returning to pre-pandemic growth trajectories and higher in some cases. While it is a
  positive sign to see that companies have rebounded from the shock of the pandemic,
  business owners will not have much time to rest on their laurels as new challenges are
  rapidly approaching and existing threats continue to impact operations.
• Heavy focus on growth, process improvement, and becoming more efficient. The advent
  of automated business processes supplemented by artificial intelligence is not fully
  realized, but companies are recognizing the importance of embracing technology and
  considering its role in helping business owners improve efficiency.
• The importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy
  implementation should not be understated. Strategic deployment of ESG initiatives is
  still in its infancy. The adoption of ESG criteria is not currently a major component of
  overall business strategy. As we move forward, companies may find themselves
  scrambling to put a strategy in place as uniform reporting standards are established or
  required.
• Companies must improve their recruiting strategies to remain competitive for top job
  candidates. Existing employees should not be overlooked and are key players when
  looking to improve retention. The Great Resignation has completely reshaped the way
  potential employees approach the process of finding a job. More value has been placed
  on diverse workplaces, flexibility, feeling valued, expanded benefits, and more, beyond
  better compensation. Businesses will have to adjust to stay relevant.
• Significant barriers to digital transformation still exist, but companies are more
  interested in exploring it as a part of their strategy. There are countless benefits to
  adopting digital transformation, but companies are having trouble assessing their own
  needs and, in turn, having trouble selecting a partner for implementation. Companies
  must look deep within their processes and current technology capabilities to confidently
  identify those needs so they can select the right partner. Resisting change may only
  leave them further behind.
• Most companies turn to a combination of internal IT resources and third-party vendors
  to manage cyber risk. With increased connectivity comes vulnerability. Having a cyber
  assessment conducted by a third-party vendor can expose vulnerabilities never
  imagined and can also help you manage other cybersecurity components beyond the
  scope of your internal IT function. Tightening up cyber policies will be a key component
  of risk management. Cyber breaches could be lethal for any company, and the attacks
  are only becoming more sophisticated.
• COVID-19 and hyperinflation cause the most angst for business owners, but there are
  countless other concerns on their radars. COVID-19 and hyperinflation were at the top
  of the list, but there are important lessons to be learned from both of these issues. In
  addition, the risk of recession, rising interest rates, climate change, the Russia-Ukraine
  conflict, and increased hawkishness by the Fed are also areas of major concern.
• Businesses are plagued by a multitude of supply chain issues. Looking beyond the first
  tier to the second or third may reveal some weak points in a business’s supply chain. A
  comprehensive evaluation of the supply chain may allow a business to identify those
  weaknesses and make improvements to prepare for future issues.

UHY is one of the nation’s largest professional services firms providing audit, tax, consulting and
advisory services to clients primarily in the dynamic middle market. We are trailblazers who
bring our experience from working within numerous industries to our clients so that we can
provide them a 360-degree view of their businesses. Together with our clients, UHY works
collaboratively to develop flexible, innovative solutions that meet our clients’ business
challenges. Visit us at https://uhy-us.com/.

To download the full report, please click here:
https://uhy-us.com/insights/2023/february/2023-middle-market-survey-trends-repor