Where Do You See Your Business Headed in 2014?

[DavidP2P]

Okay we've got over the New Years' Resolutions nonsense and quickly into the best part of January!

Are you optimistic/neutral/pessimistic about the UK economy in general when it comes to your small business? Are you dependent on the so-called "recovery" improving things, or does it make little difference to your turnover?

Personally, I think there is more pain ahead in general and that this "recovery" is just a false dawn. Stock markets are booming worldwide, London property is exploding, and everyone is in denial that they are precursors to what happens after every bubble...a bust! We all know that something is not right out there...with all that stimulus money producing minimal growth and inflation, and business in general not revived after 5 years in the dumps.

I'm feeling good about things in my business as we enter 2014, but would anyone else like to comment on their "state of the nation" in regards to their business today? What do you feel you need to do differently in 2014, as opposed to 2013?

I speak to people often in business, and knowing what's on people's minds on matters like this helps me greatly when discussing the issues they're often confronting, but not saying out loud.

Many thanks for your comments.

David

 

[Moneyman]

We aint out of the woods yet and there will be more pain. However my logistics/fulfilment company is showing improvements in almost every single company we work for. so there is light at the end of the tunnel and things are moving. I just hope we don't go out and spend like a drunk (Gordon brown style)

 

[businessfunding]

The positive sign in the proposals we are seeing is that businesses are looking to borrow for positive purposes - such as to fulfill firm orders or for a detailed and thought through growth plan. 18 months ago we were awash with spurious and unsupported applications for 'marketing' or 'business development'

Of course, the offset of QE is that it effectively borrows from the growth period (so in a perverse way, does away with boom and bust)

Coming out of recession doesn't mean that it will be sweetness and roses, there will still be blips, and growth in itself can cause problems, particularly for those manufacturers, importers & exporters who work on long lead times

Overall I would say trends are set to stay positive, but there is plenty of fighting to do.

 

[simon field]

We service and supply a really broad spectrum of industries which actually manufacture stuff and all I can say is we are pretty much stacked out for the whole year.

The vast majority of our customers are very busy.

That has never happened before - whether it's a false start or not who knows? Many rival companies to ours have gone tits-up in the last 5 years - perhaps it's only us left!

 

[Paul_Rosser]

We work with a lot of manufacturing companies and most of them are seeing a lot more work coming in than this time last year.

A lot more companies in manufacturing and software development are now also aware of the HMRC schemes which are there to help them, such as R&D Tax relief which can generate some much needed cash.

 

[herewegoagain.]

For my business, I am very lucky in some respects, when I set up originally about 6 years ago, the banks didn't want to know... so although it has been an uphill struggle at times, there is no debt - I owe no one ! -

I am not on a large scale - far from it... for me, this year is about survival (which is always good!) and paying the bills (which is better), taking more of a wage and plugging onwards and upwards - having learnt to not take on the world, (closing second shop!) but to take home a wage is far more satisfying - and far less stressful....

 

[harper101]

Well for me, I believe that my business will be doing better this 2014.
Though it really takes so much hardwork and smart decisions, but I am positive for increased sales this year.