Rihanna Had A Point With That Umbrella.

In anticipation for precipitation stack chips for the rainy day ~ Now that it's raining more than ever ~ Know that we'll still have each other ~ You can stand under my umbrella ~

Listen to a song a few times and you stop just tapping your feet, and you start to hear the lyrics. It's not a new song from Rihanna, but the lyrics resonated as most of us are metaphorically facing or under rain clouds at the moment.

You might be wondering why I have Rihanna in my playlist; but I have to confess that I am no stranger to female power pop. Until recently I was building a back catalogue of Tik Toks to strong female pop vocalists – and I thought that I absolutely killed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” over the New Year. Apparently I did, just not in a good way.

But back to the umbrella, and it’s a household object that we trip over or come across just about everywhere. In the car boot, behind the front door, under the desk at the office and many places that you forget them until you catch your foot on them.

Why do we have an umbrella around the place? As Rihanna says it’s “In anticipation of the precipitation stack chips for the rainy day..” - you are getting ahead of yourself to make sure that when the rain comes you don’t get wet.

But do we apply this principle metaphorically to other aspects of our life, or to our business? It’s no coincidence that a universal sign for insurance coverage is an umbrella, and indeed one of the best-known UK insurance brands uses a multi-coloured one in its logo.

But we associate insurance as a ‘must have’ or almost legal requirement – do we put the time and effort to ‘have an umbrella around’ in other aspects of our business? 

I work in commercial finance, and all the way through the pandemic we have witnessed companies that are informed and planning their way forward fare better, and are ahead in receiving help, accessing funding and bottom line, starting to recover their business or move it onto a path to growth.

We are spending a lot of time as we start this year talking to clients about their cash flow, and how they can conserve cash within their business so that they have shelter when the rain clouds come; and if the last 9 months have taught us anything, they probably will in some fashion or another.

Until recently I was building a back catalogue of Tik Toks to strong female pop vocalists – and I thought that I absolutely killed Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” over the New Year. Apparently I did, just not in a good way.

I’m not here pushing a “take out a loan just in case you need it” approach to future proofing your business finances; but there are a lot of products that smooth your cash flow, and fund short periods of cost so that the business doesn’t suffer from a cash call just when something unexpected arrives on your doorstep. You might already be aware of them, but just not realise that you can use them in this way. 

It would probably also be a good time to plug a good friend who could provide branded umbrellas – so your customers could also benefit from some protection that you could give them. But let’s stay with the theme, and the metaphorical umbrella that I would advocate you considering by planning for the unknown – but like the British weather the probable.

I am working with clients to help them get ahead of the possible rainclouds – as Beyonce would say, if you like what you’ve read then why not “Put A Ring On It” and get in touch to see how I could help you?

Mark.