2016 really did happen
and it’s now all about to kick off!
The political seeds sown last year may have been in incubation for a few months but germination is imminent.
On both sides of the Atlantic, those June and November 2016 X’s in boxes caused similar reactions not just in the respective home countries but across the wider world. Two obvious results (the alternatives being far too ridiculous or frightening to waste energy contemplating) were shot from the sky amid gasps of shock and awe from commentators.
Brexit Trumped!
If we weren’t already aware that “Brexit means Brexit” we are now and it appears that it will be of the “harder” variety with access to the single market a victim. And with the invocation of Article 50 fast approaching it can only be hoped that we have more allies in the European Parliament than we have in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Across the pond, the peroxide perma-tanned Donald Trump, a man with even less previous political experience than Arnold Schwarzenegger, is about to become the leader of the free world. The man who claims to have his finger on the pulse of American feeling will also have his finger on the button that nobody likes to mention.
Business is business
Interestingly, many of the UK’s entrepreneurs appear to be taking a “spirit of the blitz” stance despite the political and economic shockwaves generated by the ballot boxes. If some recent research is anything to go by then leaving the EU is a minor irritant for future consideration compared to generating sufficient cashflow and sourcing people with the relevant skills to push a business forward right now.
Look around you
The good news is that finding a flexible provider of finance really needn’t be anywhere near as difficult as finding an A list celebrity to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. The asset based lending and invoice finance industry reported a 22% jump in the amount of finance available to UK businesses last year with “a significant amount of capacity for even more lending”
With cash available against invoices, property, stock, plant & machinery and intellectual property it is always a worthwhile exercise for any business to review its assets with a view to maximising cash generation.
Eyes on the prize
Nobody is expecting the next couple of years to be easy; stepping into the unknown will always bring issues. However, with constant business reviews and professional advice from those in the know the path could be a lot smoother.
It goes without saying that to succeed you also need to possess a long attention span, something the Donald is reported to be severely lacking. Allegedly when reading a book he’s usually had enough by chapter 11.
by Steve Leeves