Who really knows what lies ahead?

 It’s interesting that so many experts are telling us what we need to be doing in our businesses to weather the current economic storm.  Interesting because ‘they’ don’t know what lies ahead, any more than we do!  No-one knows how long this situation will last or what will happen when we come out the other side.

As I write this article, Woolworth and MFI are dominating the gloomy UK business news as they slide, whimpering quietly, into administration.

And then I saw this on Richard Branson’s Blog:

“The best, most solid way out of a crisis in a changing market is through experiment and adaptation. Businesses surf the waves of changing circumstances, and I can’t offhand think of any industries whose best players are not constantly engaged in reinvention of one sort or another.

Making changes and improvements is a natural part of business, and for sole traders and very small companies, the distinction between innovation and day-to-day delivery is barely noticeable and unimportant. It’s all just business, and creative, responsive, flexible business comes easier to you the smaller your operation.”

(I know he’s got a new book to promote, but he’s also managed to start and sell some very successful businesses, as well as surviving previous economic downturns.  All this makes him a credible source of advice in my opinion!)

While this advice may not be brand new, it does at least make sense and is encouraging for small business owners.  What changes and improvements are you going to make?