Swiss craft businesses report positive outlook despite broader SME pessimism

While general economic sentiment among Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been characterized by caution, the craft and trade sector maintains a notably more optimistic perspective. The 2026 renovero craft barometer indicates that 84 percent of surveyed companies viewed the previous year as at least satisfactory, with a majority expecting further growth in the near term.

Despite this confidence, companies face specific operational hurdles. The survey identifies increasing competitive pressure as the primary concern for 56 percent of respondents, followed by the burden of insurance and social security costs. Notably, insufficient order volumes were only the third most cited issue.

Client feedback remains strong, with customers rating their craft service providers at an average of four out of five stars. Attributes such as friendliness, professional competence, and accessibility were highlighted as key strengths. Furthermore, price transparency appears sufficient, with only 30 percent of clients noting that final costs exceeded their initial projections.

The data is derived from a survey of approximately 1,300 participants on the renovero platform—a service operated by localsearch—conducted during the first half of 2026. As an internal survey, the findings provide insight into the user community of the platform rather than acting as a representative analysis of the entire Swiss economy.