Business confidence in Scotland fell 10 points during October to 5%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking.
Companies in Scotland reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 11 points at 22%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 10 points to -14%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 5%.
Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offering (33%), investing in their teams (29%) and entering new markets (27%).
The barometer, which questions 1,200 businesses monthly - including 100 in Scotland - also showed a net balance of 16% of Scottish businesses expect to reduce staff levels over the next year, down two points on last month.
