Stop Talking Yourself Out Of Business!

A little over a week ago I published a post called “Sterling Falls Further, Why I’m Not Worried“. It sparked a debate on Twitter that I perhaps had not expected to be so strong. There are still very strong feelings for many about Brexit, especially with the glazing industry’s manufacturing sector as Sterling comes under pressure and price rises start to filter down to installers and home owners.

One thing it also showed up was how negative some have become about it. I completely understand that the vote was close, and many will have been unhappy with the outcome. But I have noticed something very un-British in recent weeks and months, with some people appearing to throw in the towel and become very apathetic towards the situation.

Stop with the “woe is me”

After the vote, there was a period of mourning for those unhappy with the result. I understand that completely. Passions were running high. It was OK for a few weeks, but then it had to stop because the world didn’t end, the UK economy didn’t collapse on itself, society didn’t throw itself into the gutter. Day to day life had to continue, as did business.

Some may not have seem to got that message. On social media, I have seen a number of accounts that have become so negative, so “woe is me” that they now resemble the inner thoughts of a 13 year old emo kid. What’s worse, is that these accounts belong to people at the top of their businesses. The types of people who you would have expected to digest the result, accept it, move on and work towards ensuring that whatever happens next, however long it takes, their businesses continue to grow and be profitable.

The “woe is me” attitude has to stop. If you’re the owner of a business, or someone with influence, continuing to moan about the result, it’s effects, will only serve to cultivate a negative perception about you, and potentially your business. Nothing good ever came out of being negative. Whether you were a Remainer or a Leaver, the single mission now is to get heads down, work hard and make the most of the opportunities that are out there.

In the months since the Brexit vote, I have muted a number of accounts on Twitter and Facebook. Some of them have become so negative, so depressing, that I’ve simply switched them off. Some have turned into proxy-political accounts, some have turned into full on political campaigning accounts. Whilst everyone has the right to run their social media accounts the way they see fit, I would offer a word of caution on how negatively they are run. It doesn’t inspire anyone to continue to follow, and it’s well known that negativity breeds negativity, and so could cause damage to business.

Be positive

In the past week or so, there’s actually been a fair bit to be positive about. The UK’s GDP figures for the last quarter were better than expected. Analysts had predicted figures of 0.1% to 0.3%. It was actually 0.5% to the upside. Although down 0.2% from Q2, this was still better than most thought. Proving that the UK economy is more resilient than some had thought.

Then Nissan announced that they were to expand their facility in Sunderland and produce their next two models at the facility, securing 7000 jobs at the site and ensuring the local economy continues to benefit.

A third runway at Heathrow was finally given the green light, after decades of wrangling. Whilst I believe this will be good for the UK economy as a whole, I still question why it had to be there. However, this could begin a process where other airports across the country will push to expand their own facilities. This could bring a huge boost in international trade and tourism that will benefit the whole UK.

There is plenty to be positive about. And if there are things to be positive about, there are opportunities for businesses to take advantage of. Being negative though, choosing to look past the above and dwell on problems only creates a negative cycle that is hard to break.