IT S that time again – year-end approaching and thoughts turn toward writing the business plan for another 12 months. To be honest, even though I recognise the benefits of doing so it is not a task I relish. It s not the thinking about what we need to be

IT'S that time again - year-end approaching and thoughts turn toward writing the business plan for another 12 months.

To be honest, even though I recognise the benefits of doing so it is not a task I relish. It's not the thinking about what we need to be planning, after many years that becomes second nature. It's the uncertainty of the current economic climate.

Last year it didn't take a brain surgeon to work out that it was going to be challenging, but this year I am not so sure. Should we be positive or should we continue to follow a more prudent line? After much thought, I think we will be prudently positive. Patently business is not going to be easy it rarely is, even in the good times, but sometimes one has to put one's faith in one's judgement and move forward.

I sit in a very privileged position and as a consequence have had the opportunity to witness many very good business people and how they operate. Somehow they seem to do well even in the hardest of times.

Lucky? Yes, I suppose some are. But to paraphrase the great Gary Player: "The more I practice, the luckier I get".

In truth these people are rarely just lucky. They understand their business, observe the market and plan accordingly. Oh, and usually they work very hard as well.

While I don't particularly like actually writing the plan, the bit I really enjoy is talking about our business, particularly with staff and chamber members. Looking at what we do right. Looking at what we could do better. Examining the art of the possible. It's a time to think and to engender enthusiasm. It's a time to move forward. Personally I am fed up with discussing the difficulties. I want to talk about how we develop a brighter future.

Clearly in the current climate it is not the time to go overboard, but with careful planning based on sensible ideas backed up with correctly focused effort, now might just be the time to steal a march on the competition. This is an approach I have seen being consistently taken by our most successful members.

Currently prudent is fine, but whatever approach one decides upon, after careful consideration one should execute it in a positive fashion. Once I have completed our plan I really am looking forward to the coming year whatever it brings.