Claire’s Column – Opportunity Knocks

Published on: 31 Jan, 2018
Updated on: 30 Jan, 2018

In this regular column – a must-read for all those interested in Guildford business – Claire Dee embraces optimism and opportunity in 2018.

Claire Dee.

Earlier this month, Guildford was named as the UK’s top spot for burglary claims.

The Moneysupermarket survey revealed that the town’s ranking was due to it having 52.3 claims per 1,000 home insurance quotes. Cambridge came second with 51.4 claims per 1,000 quotes, and Birmingham was third with 51.2.

Not a great start to the year given December figures from Experience Guildford, the town’s business improvement district, showed the town had a way above average Christmas shopping season, with footfall figures in the town centre increasing by 19.6% compared to 0.9% nationally.

And perhaps that’s the link. We spent more, so we had more to lose.

Either way, January surveys come thick and fast in a bid to get the news agenda moving again after the quiet silly season.

Certainly, in the past few weeks, I’ve read that insolvencies are up, business confidence is down, growth looks set to slow (again), and jobs are drying up fast as technology takes over. And in the same breath, small businesses are optimistic about the future while the bigwigs remain cautious.

At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, global professional services firm PwC launched its annual chief executive survey. Among other things, the findings highlighted that the number of UK business leaders describing themselves as “very confident” has dipped from 41% last year to 34%.

Fundamentally, whether the glass is half full or half empty, is all down to mindset.

As the new year gets into its stride, I plan to embrace it with energy and enthusiasm. And if opportunity knocks, I’ll open the door wide. After all, as the saying goes, it only knocks once so make sure you’re in.

Claire Dee runs her own communications consultancy near Guildford and is an active member of the local business community, including sitting on the Surrey Chambers of Commerce board and co-chairing the Business Women in Surrey group. To learn more visit www.clairedeecommunications.com