Bracing our businesses for the aftermath of leaving Europe...

In, Out, Hard, Soft... Who Knows?!? We are all a bit tired...

What I do know is that uncertainty brings fear and fear brings caution. With 'slowdown' of commitment to buying, selling, risk and all the good things businesses do.

What does that mean for your business? At best nothing changes (no real growth) for you in the short term until the 'new way' is settled. At worst it's increased costs, less customers and consumers and lower income.

Right now I have no allegiance to any side, like many I'd just like to see progress and direction (some want it 'done' by now, 40 years and 28 countries? Not happening). What I do understand is that when change of this size happens we need to understand as much as possible. What does that turbulence look like? In advance and with as much clarity as we can get.

Every business will need to 'manage' that turbulence and embrace the change. My business included!

How long? How bad? Please?!

Will this next 2-5 years be reminiscent of 2008? I have no idea, I know very little right now. I consider myself somewhat intelligent, as are many of you, and 'tuned in' as a consultant. It's my job to understand the fears of companies, their owners and teams.

But, I really don't know how this will go, the effect, timescale, the winners and losers.

So, what do we do?

We work with what we DO know...

We've seen weather based tragedy all too much recently. Countries and their people hammered by storms of a magnitude previously unseen.

What happens before the storms come? With some warning preparations start whether evacuations or many other activities to be ready for when the storm hits. Even though we don't know the full effect.

People reinforce their homes, windows, doors, they gather provisions to last out the storm. All the family get together and agree, train and practice for these occasions.

What about your business? The oncoming post Europe change and turbulence is no different to severe weather. It will hit and hit hard.

Be ready, prepare as best you can:

• Make sure your business is robust and secure operationally; policy, process and procedure.
• Make sure you have provision within the business; reliable assets, strong cashflow, emergency financial options.
• Make sure the team are trained and briefed in your policies, that they are ready.

Navigating this turbulence and change will mean one of two very clear outcomes...

We stand firm! ride the turbulence, get through it, even boss it!

OR

We fold like a cardboard box. Unable to survive as a business because all the change and turbulence exploits every gap, weakness and 'working by the seat of our pants' activity we do.

It's unlikely that your business fits the description in the cardboard box scenario above, most are better than that. But this requires a tightening of want you do, how and why you do it. So that as the waves of change start to hit us in the coming months and years, your business is 'braced for impact'.

Make no mistake there will be winners and losers coming out of the back end of this next few years. Give yourself the best chance and prepare.

Survive and win, whatever happens with Europe.

Mark Lloyd - Consultant, Coach, Trainer.

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