Julian’s Business Tips: Once Upon a Time
If there is one thing 2020 taught us, it is to expect the unexpected. But that doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn’t plan. You won’t need me to tell you that trying to run a business in a time of uncertainty can be very unsettling, so you can help yourself looking at the things that are stable. As we head into the New Year, here are some things that I think you can rely on in 2021:
• There will continue to be social distancing
• More business will be done remotely
• People will continue to work from home
• Some staff will struggle with remote working
• There will be opportunities in areas you haven’t yet thought about
• There will be unforeseen problems
Apologies for the gloomy list, but it’s important to be realistic – you can’t change circumstances, but you can change how you react to them.
I think 2021 will be like a ‘Choose your own story’ book where the reader is presented with choices along the way and, depending on which alternative they choose, is able to change the outcome of the book.
Except that we are not the reader – we are the author. We have to think of all the eventualities and create scenarios to cope with whatever choices the world (our ‘reader’) throws our way!
You need the basic outline of your story (your business plan) that covers those points above – but as those factors influence your business story, what options will be available to you?
Even if you don’t know exactly where in your book the choices need to be made, you can certainly speculate what circumstances may force you to make those choices, and be ready with the options when they happen.
And that level of planning might make the difference between a happy ending and a horror story!
Now, are you sitting comfortably?
