Bosses show commitment; INDUSTRY: Resilience in face of doom and gloom.

Byline: By Jon Griffin

NEARLY three quarters of West Midland entrepreneurs are "totally committed come what may" to their businesses despite the economic doom and gloom, a new survey reveals.

Research by Grant Thorton shows that a total of 70.5 per cent of respondents pledged their faith in their firms compared to a national average of 70 per cent.

Meanwhile, 73.1 per cent said they were the same or more ambitious for their business compared to six months ago, compared to a 69.8 per cent national average, according to the survey by the Business Advisory Group.

In the biannual Entrepreneur Insight Report, 751 founders and owners of companies with turnovers of between pounds 5 million and pounds 150 million were surveyed on business and economic expectations, and the ambitions, motivations and fears that drive them.

The survey said: "Entrepreneurs across the UK are realistic about the challenges they face and 55 per cent say that their capacity to influence their business is either somewhat or completely diminished in the current economic climate, 66 per cent see things getting slightly or much worse and finally 77 per cent say current conditions are exerting either fair or a great deal of pressure on their personal lives."

David White, audit partner at Grant Thornton in Birmingham, said the findings demonstrated corporate resilience.

"Entrepreneurs are not burying their heads in the sand and refusing to recognise the difficulties they face." he said.