With only six months to go before the UK is due to leave the EU, just about the only thing that is certain about Brexit is that no one knows what is going to happen.

The EU’s reputation may have taken something of a battering since the financial crisis, but the majority of the UK’s biggest businesses have remained steadfastly behind Brussels.

However, in May BP, Nestle and Vodafone warned the Prime Minister that uncertainty over Brexit may force them to cut UK investment, and earlier this month the boss of Jaguar Land Rover painted a bleak picture of what would happen in the event of a “hard Brexit”.

Ralf Speth said the prospect of no deal with the EU was “horrifying”. He warned it had the potential to wipe out the company’s profits and put tens of thousands of jobs at risk.

Despite accounting for more than 90 per cent of all private sector employers small businesses have not enjoyed the same attention as members of the FTSE 100.

Smaller business MicroSlat designs and manufactures aluminium slatwall display systems.

From its headquarters on Morton Park, Darlington, the company exports products all over the world and this month it notched up a notable milestone – it exported systems to its 40th country.

Managing director Terry Dady said: “Everyone knows that the UK’s retailers are having a tough time.

“The rise of online shopping, the weak pound and stagnant wages have exacted a harsh toll on the High Street, but what we’ve seen is that some retailers are fighting back by investing in store refurbishments and rebrands. Some have taken a wait-and-see attitude, not wishing to spend big money with Brexit now so close; others are investing in their store estate to make the shopping experience as good as it possibly can be as a way of attracting more customers – and that’s where we come in.”

MicroSlat’s aluminium slatwall solutions are manufactured to the tightest tolerances from high-quality materials and designed to fit together in a myriad of different ways, they have a much longer lifespan than more traditional display solutions made from steel or MDF.

Mr Dady said he sources as much aluminium from UK suppliers as possible but even they need to import the raw materials.

“Of course, if we crash out of the EU and the pound collapses that will have a knock-on effect on raw materials,” he said. “At the moment we are saying to all customers that our quotes are good for a certain length of time, but we can’t say what will happen after Brexit.”

Mr Dady, who started the business 20 years ago, said he remains hopeful about the future. He said: “MicroSlat’s structure allows it to respond to market changes very quickly and to enter emerging new markets in a way that a much larger FTSE 100 company can’t.

“It takes time to turn huge companies around, but we can pivot whenever the market dictates that we need to.”

Julie Underwood, international trade director at the North East England Chamber of Commerce, said: “Businesses have become increasingly frustrated with a lack of Brexit leadership and clarity since the referendum in 2016. We believe this is deterring business preparations for Brexit, and risking our members’ chances of making a success of Brexit.

“Over the summer, the chamber has been gathering information on the impact of Brexit on North-East business, and how their preparations are going, through our Brexit survey. The results have been stark.

“Over half of business figures believe that Brexit will have a negative impact on their business, while only 15 per cent believe it will have a positive impact. Coupled with this, 53 per cent of respondents are frustrated by the lack of Government progress and engagement on Brexit. This is unsurprising as the last two years have been dominated by political infighting, vague negotiations and a central failure to address fundamental business concerns.

“According to our survey, this has resulted in 40 per cent feeling they are underprepared, with almost one in ten being completely unprepared. Government must act now on the top listed concerns of business.”