An expert has expressed hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for a recovery from the current economic downturn within the next one to two years.

The next year is likely to be "tough" but hopefully by the end of 2009 some signs of improvement will be emerging, commented Mark Parker, executive chairman of Talkbiznow.com.

He suggested that measures being implemented by the government and the Bank of England could help push the economy towards a recovery.

"This is not over and done with - I think we will see ourselves almost at the bottom of the trough as we go through 2009," he warned.

But looking with greater optimism towards the following year, Mr Parker added: "The economy, I am pretty confident, will get better."

The executive's words may offer some encouragement to small and medium-sized enterprises aiming for strong levels of business continuity in the new year, despite the downturn.

Sally Toumi, managing director of recruitment consultancy Stark Brooks, recently stressed that having good levels of communication within an organisation is a key factor in being able to withstand pressure in the workplace.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).