New Year, New You? New Business? New Goals?

I know, I know, another post with this kind of headline which makes you want to stick your head in a bucket.

However evidence shows that this is the time of year when we do consider new things - we go out and buy stuff. we often have a clear-out of clutter, we might organise stuff at home in a different way, make decisions about holidays over the next year or whether or not to do anything to the home, buy a newer car - we all do this in one form or another even if we don't call it a 'new year resolution'.

In that spirit this post does contain some shameless plugs, so please be aware of that.

My clients who can help with this kind of stuff include Dennie Smith of Old Style Dating for those looking for a committed and serious relationship (I'm lucky to have this in my life already, many don't), or you need to change your mindset or perception contact my client Jane Evans, for changes of the home kind look up John Williams Heating Services of Wiltshire (doing our new bathroom in January) and our latest newer car is a Volvo (I'll just leave these thoughts with you).

There's a clear reason why holiday ads start on tv on Christmas Day and there are Boxing Day sales etc - we are in 'buying, changing and reflection' mode. I choose to embrace it and I'd encourage you to do the same. Like many things in life we can stick our head in the sand and hope it all goes away or we can face things head on.

Do we all reflect in business too? I don't think we all do if we're really honest. Most of us simply continue to do what we've done for several years before - and if you've already achieved the goals you set out for yourself there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. If your goal is to 'maintain' that's a goal like any other. However don't assume that maintenance is easy.

If you think it's going to be easy in 2019, you are quite probably wrong. Business is a tricky business and things can impact on it which have absolutely nothing to do with how good your business is or how good you are at your stuff.

The uncertainty of Brexit is bound to have an impact - and it already is on some businesses. Uncertainty and perception have a huge role to play in business as it can affect a decision-maker's view on actually making any decisions. We see this in stocks and shares and the FTSE every single day - yet it's very strange how little we consider this in our everyday business lives.

Uncertainty and perception (even when totally illogical) can stifle growth and can create a self-fulfilling prophecy of negativity. I've seen it myself in my own business with clients and the behaviours some are exhibiting.

Many of us are getting on with the day job and hoping 'things will be okay'. However just having a little plan and thinking things through may be the one thing which enables a business to survive a potential storm on the horizon (my client Katrina McWhinnie of the McWhinnie Consultancy can help with this around Brexit if you are interested, or if you need business growth support I work with Paul Holmes of PCH Associates and Linda Davies-Carr, The Master Fixer both of whom I wholeheartedly recommend. If you have a failing team or need to see where your team could improve I recommend my client Gareth Lock of Human In The System).

Being in limbo is the worst possible outcome for business as it's hard to make a plan to prepare for.....what? Brexit? or no Brexit?

I don't export in my business (and many people focus on export and overseas trade around Brexit) however it would be crazy of me to think that Brexit will have no effect on a micro business like mine based in the South West of England. It has already had an effect.

In the last year I've had a client leave me because their plans for expansion - well costed out and in motion - were pulled because they worried about Brexit and what it could mean. Their main worry was around stock, much of which came from overseas. If they couldn't stock at the prices they were used to - this would have an knock on effect on their projections and then a knock on effect on their higher overheads given their expansion. So they didn't do anything. They simply stopped and stayed the same.

To me this made no sense, they could actually afford their expansion based upon current turnover without getting into debt. Yes there would be less margin yet the risk seemed marginal. However their fear of what COULD happen won the day and they walked away from an expansion plan. That didn't just mean walking away from me, it meant walking away from several people.

I should stress there was no falling out. There was no big drama. It was such a shame that such potential was gone. There's something very sad about unfulfilled potential. A small risk not taken. For me, life is too short for such regrets.

Please don't see this as a post about my personal views on Brexit. It is not. It's a post on uncertainty and how it can cripple a business from moving forward - if that's a business owner's ultimate aim. Waiting for the right conditions often simply means doing nothing at all. Just as in life - waiting for the right moment to buy a home, waiting for the right moment to have a baby, waiting for the right moment to get married.....forever waiting.

As I'm now in my 50s, I'm done with waiting. I've lost too many family members and friends too early to 'wait' for the right moment. My mantra for 2019 is to move away from 'I can't' to 'how can I and do I really want to?'.

Here's five things I plan to move forward in 2019 and make progress on:

*To work in partnership with another company to promote my online courses and make the most of an opportunity which has come suddenly and unexpectedly out of the blue.

*To start on my first business book to support people like me and to wave two fingers at those of you who look down on the 'mumpreneur' and the owners of 'lifestyle' businesses as though we are somehow 'less' because we don't have the desire to 'scale up' or 'make many millions'. In 2019 if you think like that about me - be my guest. I'm not fussed and I won't care.

*To spot much earlier those people who always want stuff for free however they dress it up as something else - like they are doing you a favour.

*To walk away from people who business hypocrites - say one thing and do another in their dealings with small business people especially those who talk endlessly about how great they are and the success they've had and then DON'T PAY THEIR BILLS. (If you are having any trouble in this area I'd suggest talking to my client Nicki Kinton of Confident Cashflow and also getting clued up on the work of the Small Business Commissioner Paul Uppal and his team who are working tirelessly to improve the culture of late payment we have in the UK when it comes to business).

*To continue to work with a select group of clients who add joy to each day who value me and my little power team - and we value them in return. These people know who they are and every day I'm blessed to work with them and to be a small part of their own teams. These are the kind of clients I want to work with - to raise their profiles as a small part of their teams where there's value and respect on both sides. Where work is done, work is valued and shared and paid for. Those who realise that when a profile is raised, when you are more visible and when you then flex your sales skills, a business grows. It's inevitable.

2019 BRING IT ON!!!!