It’s interesting to consider the challenges that are plaguing small businesses at present. For example:
- A frustrating inability to reestablish profit levels to fund investment or to maintain the living standards of employees and shareholders.
- Cash flow constantly hovering at zero or at overdraft limits.
- Having to witness the slow decline in profits retained in previous years to maintain dividend payouts or absorb current losses.
- Making sense of the import and export rules since we left the EU.
- The impact of higher interest rates; particularly, meeting rising repayments and their effect on profits and cash flow.
Not an inspiring background if you are a UK SME.
However, those companies who can make way in the face of these opposing headwinds can leverage their hard won achievements to sing their own praises.
Success breeds success.
Rudyard Kipling had it right in his poem “If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs…”
When your results evidence success, and you are in a minority at that time, then you will stand out from the crowd and be an attractive business partner.
In our experience, the one course of action that supports this positive business development outcome, is the willingness to engage in rigorous business planning. We can bear witness to this statement. And even if a business has to accommodate a reduction in profits for a period to meet external difficulties head-on, those affected who have flexible business plans in place will be the ones to weather the storm.
If you presently have no formal business plans, pick up the phone, let’s have a discussion to see how we could help and have your business stand out or the crowd.
