Despite the assurances of Mark Carney, the governor Bank of England, sign-makers have long memories and recall the high interest days of the early 1990s, when many in business were driven under due to the unsustainability of 11, 12, and 13 per cent interest rates.

David Catanach of the British Sign and Graphics Association says: “With most pundits predicting that the days of extremely low interest rates are coming to an end, it would be wise for sign-makers to factor this into their future growth plans and borrowing requirements to avoid overstretching themselves too soon.”

The worst of the crisis is behind us but the financial system is not functioning as well as it could”

Carney said the economy was still not back to where it was in 2008. He says: “The worst of the crisis is behind us but the financial system is not functioning as well as it could. Uncertainty among households and businesses is still preventing investment."

Speaking at the British Print Industry Conference in January the economist Dennis Turner said the Government needed to drive the economy by investing in infrastructure in the public sector which in turn will see private industry also invest as new contracts are awarded—many of them in the sign-making industry.

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