Partner Article

It pays to be positive

Once again UK businesses have been plagued by negative headlines; this time that optimism amongst businesses has hit a 20 year low.

BDO’s Optimism Index, which predicts business performance two quarters ahead, fell to 89.1 in August dropping from 93.1 in July, making it the sixth month that data has registered a drop. The report also suggests that confidence is at an all time low since Business Trends began. With some suggesting that the summer of 2012 has been very bad on business not to mention the heavy rainfall we have endured also said to have a dire impact.

But before you give out a large ‘I give up’ sigh and bang your head on the table first question if we are surrounded by pessimists or are they simply telling it how it is? In good, booming times people will become overly cheerful and high spirited and tend to get a little too pessimistic in bleak times.

If you seek out positive stories you will find them, one that springs to mind this month was the report that for the last 12 months the North East has become a shining example for the rest of the country, it is the only part of the UK that is a net exporter, selling more overseas than it buys in. As well as the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg backed the creation of a North East commission aimed at turning the region into an economic powerhouse. Clegg was quoted that there is enormous potential for growth in the North East.

Of course it isn’t easy, remaining positive can be extremely hard to do. But the one thing that I have continually strived to maintain is my perspective. Take a pride and pleasure in what you do and without sounding clichéd success should not be measured against someone’s wealth rather gain satisfaction from helping customers from building your company’s reputation.

The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. -Winston Churchill.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Anderson CBE .