There is no getting away from the fact that times are tough at the moment. January and February have for me been one of the slowest I’ve experienced in more than 20 years trading.
But with every other story in the media being about either the problems in the UK economy or the ongoing issues in the EU, is it really surprising that people have lost confidence and are not spending their hard earned cash?
I feel that so many circumstances have come together to cause this recession that we are going to have to fight to get over this one.
However, believe it or not we are not the only country out there, and others are doing well at the moment, the obvious example is China, but many others in the Middle East and Asia too. Why don’t we see some positive business stories inspired from teose countries?
Let’s face it, a business partner in that part of the world could be UK industry’s saviour.
However, what we really need is confidence – confidence that things will get better. This is why I am supporting GBT 2012, part of which is about looking to the success stories for inspiration, and is not soley ’doom and gloom’ that we have become so accustomed to in the media.
Perhaps people only want to hear about the misfortune of others? Or perhaps that is just what some parts of the media think?
Frankly, at the moment I have stopped listening to the news and reading newspapers. That may make me look a little introverted, but it does give me a fighting chance to look for the bright side in the situation.
Maybe if others did the same the media would get the message: cover positive stories and help get things moving again.
Or perhaps now is the time to rethink our overt consumerism, and look to a simpler way of life? You chose!
* FPB member Mark Docker is a private investigator and runs SLS Investigations on Manchester’s Deansgate.
