Clarity and confidence in a time of crisis

Castle Corporate Finance - Our window on the world.

As business owner managers, we like making use of information. KPI’s; market intelligence; trend analysis… We use measures, checks and balances to make informed decisions.

And suddenly – all bets are off.  Last year is no longer 2019 AD – it’s 2019 BC (Before Corona), with all ensuing dates and years carrying the classification ‘AC’ (you get the idea!).

If you’re feeling that you currently lack clarity or confidence, you are certainly not the only one. “We live in unprecedented times”, claim the politicians as they themselves seem taken aback with the enormity of the situation. The scientists are busy trying to develop a vaccine but, in the meantime, we continue to see the virus spread and mortality rates perpetuate. Healthcare professionals are over-stretched and under-resourced and the nation worries for all involved; and businesses like ours are counting… counting on this being over sooner rather than later but would, right now, settle for any date this year, although no one can be sure.

It seems that no one really knows much at all in fact about how best to contain and eliminate this pervasive virus, and the clear steps required to return to normal life again; but, just as we have faced other major challenges before,  we will somehow overcome all this and in a reflective mode probably wonder how on earth that was made possible.

It made us wonder then – is not having all the information and experience to deal with an unexpected and major business event like this a problem for business owner managers?  Well, in a perfect world, we would all choose the comfort of knowing exactly what is happening, when and by how much.  But, has this EVER been the case?

THE EVOLUTIONARY ENTREPRENEUR

Business success is not exclusively bestowed upon those who are in possession of the full and accurate facts. Such information no longer exists – and, to be honest, never really did!  To wait for all those proverbial ducks to adopt single file will certainly see your business left way behind.

No. Success in business is and has always been the reward of the flexible, the adaptable and the fittest – a word which, in this context, has little to do with muscle and more to do with being a good ‘fit’ for the prevailing circumstances.

It is said that, if everyone had to start again with nothing, the money would probably end up with the same people.  Why?  Because successful business owner managers balance fact with intuition; statistics with gut feel; information with sheer instinct.  Add a bit of bloody mindedness and there you have it…. You!

Of course, keep as informed as possible, but innovate; reinvent; transform; disrupt; decide – just as you have always done with whatever facts (or lack of them) are available. 

Business as usual, then?

WHAT NEXT?

If you want a chat, a human voice, a like-minded owner manager, one that shares that little bit of bloody mindedness we refer to, contact Stuart on 07500 999 541 or Victoria on 07469 140 080

You might also be interested to read our ‘Survive to Thrive’ click here.

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24th April 2020

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