Clearing Snow!

I’ve never seen bigger icicles in the UK, I’ve never seen better snow for skiing and sledging, I’ve not seen so many people gathered together having such fun for a long time!

Certainly in the minds of many children – and a lot of adults – that constitutes a fun start to the year, with bigger and better prospects. I think so too.

Many businesses have been “treading water”, for some time now but when the water freezes, then you can walk on it.

The “big freeze” has frozen many businesses and their trading activities even more, than late last year. Traffic at a standstill, fewer shoppers on the high street, all in the midst of a recession. Yet John Lewis, Next and even Marks and Spencer, report record takings.

So what’s the secret? Are we turning the corner of recession? I suppose the answer is, we probably are starting to do so but prices have reduced, many people’s wages have been reduced by their employers, lean thinking is no longer just a “buzz word” to many businesses, it is a necessity and has been fairly fully embraced.

We’ve all suffered but businesses are leaner, cuter, more agile, more customer focused, more customer service aware and more acutely aware of what can happen in the real world.

The “Sales” may not turn out to be as successful as anticipated due to the abnormal weather conditions and that will clearly be an “ill wind” for many but the creativity of many to modify the “Key Success Drivers” of their businesses to cope with the current business climate can only assist sustained improvement.

The “Ambition Club” by Rubicon Developments Limited assists, nurtures and develops the skills needed for managers to succeed and is a partly government funded management and leadership programme.

Those businesses with ambition will succeed – stick with it!

Peter Saunders
Director (Rubicon Developments Limited)