Why is business so quiet?

I run a small business in the Uk.. Has anyone noticed how quiet it is out there? Are other SME directors lacking in orders? Does big business seem to be strangling the small independent business?

What does your business sell? How big is your business? Where in the U.K. are you located? Do you have a lot of local competitors? Are all your sales local, inside the U.K., or perhaps you have some international sales (if you have a website, for example)... There are many factors that can affect the performance of a business, after all.