PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE Are We Making the Most of the Good Times? Over the years, I’ve seen recessions,


uncertainty and economic periods that can make your blood run cold. You never know exactly when they are coming, how long they will last or which part of the business they will affect first.


But time and again, it is the prudent, well-run companies that seem best placed to deal with them. That doesn’t mean spending every good period worrying about the next bad one. Where is the enjoyment in that? It means using success wisely. A busy business is not always a


resilient business. A pipeline can look impressive, but it still has to turn into profitable work. Standards must be maintained, customers looked after and colleagues given the support and tools to do their jobs properly. Could we improve our processes?


Are we investing in the right areas? And are we making life easier for customers, or simply keeping ourselves busy? Times are challenging, customers


are careful and decisions can take longer. But we are all facing the same uncertain world, our competitors and our clients included. So, we need to keep our heads.


People remember who delivers, who keeps their word and who gets the job done. It comes from getting out there, building relationships and doing the everyday things well. Last week, I attended a conference


where the speaker was Dave Fishwick, the man behind Bank of Dave. He said, in his unmistakable Burnley


accent: “Appen, it’s funny how the harder we


H


ere we are, coming to the end of another long, hot summer. Being based on the coast has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s popular, so we get lots of visitors.


It’s popular, so the roads are busy, restaurants are hard to book and parking spaces are a nightmare! But isn’t that a little like running a business? We want to be popular. We want to


be busy. We want a healthy order book. But when those good times arrive, are we really making the most of them? Growth should bring more than simply more work. It can create employment and opportunity. It can give us the confidence to invest in people, equipment and better ways of doing things. And, hopefully, it allows us to put something aside for the inevitable rainy day.


work, the luckier we get.” How very true. Luck will always play some part in business, but hard work, consistency and preparation give us the best chance of recognising an opportunity and dealing with change when it comes. So, enjoy the good times, appreciate being busy and keep doing the things that make the business successful. But make sure today’s success is helping to build tomorrow’s business too.


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