That was the year that was…

Who would have thought this time last year, when we were full of Christmas cheer and making optimistic plans for 2020 with BREXIT the only blot on the UK landscape; that a killer virus was already spreading through the world unchecked, with the Chinese leadership in denial while others just buried their heads in the sand.

The ensuing death, hardship and economic chaos caused will be a burden that we all will be carrying for years to come.

However, Coronavirus did show the inimitable force of the human spirit when faced with adversity and also the ability for people to work together for the common good.

So, what are the lessons to be learned by business?

Protect your skills and labour base, ensure the integrity of your supply chain and don’t put short term profit ahead of resilience are a good starting point.

Most important, what 2020 showed is that those businesses with visionary leadership, courage, flexibility and agility could remain relevant and be part of the solution.

The outlook for 2021?

Naturally, things won’t return to any sort of normal before the third quarter assuming the vaccination programme goes somewhere close to plan (and there are no other nasty biological or electronic viruses waiting in the wings) and we manage to keep our post-BREXIT borders open for business.

But, in my humble opinion, there will be a surge in start-ups, ramp-ups, reinventions and investment in UK production, and the continued demise of the dinosaurs that have foolishly put ego, headline profit and shareholders first.

Yes, I am cautiously optimistic that 2021 will see the emergence of a stronger UK based economy built on social entrepreneurship and conscious consumerism both online and in bricks and mortar.

If you agree and see yourself as part of that movement, I’d be happy to work alongside you.