UK businesses are showing increased optimism about growth prospects despite ongoing concerns over economic volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, according to industry leaders. Terry Hughes, chief executive of Pivotal Sec Plus, Northern Ireland’s largest independent cash management firm, emphasized the need for companies to actively pursue opportunities amid these challenges.

Founded in Belfast in 2005, Pivotal Sec Plus has grown substantially under Hughes’ leadership. The company now operates 18 cash management centers across the UK, employs more than 1,100 staff, manages approximately 218,000 cash-in-transit services monthly, and controls a fleet of over 500 vehicles alongside nearly 2,000 ATMs throughout Britain and Ireland.

Hughes recounted the difficulties faced during the global financial crisis in 2009, when he personally invested all his wealth to sustain the firm’s early operations. Despite setbacks, the company has continued to expand, most recently through the acquisition of Security Plus in 2025, which doubled its workforce and broadened its operational reach.

“Northern Ireland has distinctive strengths, including an agile business community able to serve the UK and abroad,” said John Mathers, head of Barclays Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland. Barclays’ Regional Investment Map revealed a 63.4 percent increase in equity investment in Northern Ireland during the first half of 2026, totaling £72.2 million. Additionally, defence sector businesses in the region grew by 9.52 percent, the fastest rate among sector-region combinations across the UK.

Barclays has positioned itself as a key partner for businesses like Pivotal, offering not only financing but also strategic advice and access to an international network. Hughes highlighted the value of this support, noting that “it’s not only the financing that matters. The broader picture is that we’ve always got access to advice from someone who knows our business.”

Mathers described Barclays’ approach as turning client ambition into actionable outcomes through a combination of local relationships and global capabilities. The bank’s £22 billion Business Prosperity Fund is designed to help UK companies invest in growth and resilience by providing loans and refinancing options to both new and existing clients.

The Barclays Q2 2026 Business Prosperity Index indicated a rise in UK business confidence to 63 percent, up from 57 percent earlier in the year, although concerns remain due to factors such as Middle East conflicts and ongoing global trade tensions.

Hughes remains cautiously optimistic despite these headwinds, stressing the importance of calculated risk-taking. “It doesn’t mean you say yes to everything,” he said, “but you have to have the courage to go for growth.”