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Originally Posted by Steve.Richardson

“Not allowed to be called Pork sausages, doesn't bear thinking about ”

Ewwwww pig ears anyone? (and probably worse!)

It was finally announced that the UK is officially in a recession now. This came as no surprise at all as the pandemic and resulting lockdown had a huge effect on many industries and we all expected the announcement. But house prices are still high, and some industries are thriving, so it isn’t all doom and gloom, certainly not yet.

Who are the winners?

IT was one of the winners of the lockdown as so many people needed software and hardware in order to work from home and now restaurant and bars are open, they need apps to take orders from the table. Sales of laptops and office chairs went crazy and other items like clippers went out of stock everywhere when people deicide to do home haircuts. It was a strange time. But some of these needs will be continuing as lots of businesses are keeping people working remotely for the foreseeable future.

And the losers

Of course, the biggest losers were automotive and events, plus hospitality and the airlines, these sectors are all struggling as we are not buying cars, travelling abroad and we can’t go to events anymore. And the uncertainty of when we will be able to is what really makes it devastating to those industries.

Furlough is ending next month, and more redundancies are expected to follow. People without jobs spend a lot less and ultimately lose their houses if they can’t pay the mortgage. This all has a huge effect on the economy as a whole and let’s not even mention the astronomical debt the UK now has.

Can we do anything?

But individually what can we do about all that? We can’t stop the virus and we can’t make people spend what they don’t have. Worrying yourself into the ground won’t help anyone! However, as small businesses we can do our bit.

If things are going okay for you, keep spending. Outsource work and keep money moving around, it all helps create those little green shoots we need to get out of this. Please don’t feel guilty if you are doing well either, that is the way of the world. Instead try and give something back and give value with free advice or services to those most in need. This is not only an immense help but also brilliant for your brand.

If things are tricky and you are struggling, then try and think of new services that will be needed or change your target audience. And do ask for help. Sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees and other people can come up with great ideas or solutions. Forums like this one or a decent business Facebook group or LinkedIn are all good starting points.

Chin up!

But above all try and stay positive. We have weathered recessions before, and we will again. It will get worse before it gets better but keep going and one day 2020 will just be the year we cannot quite believe ever happened!

Do you have any top tips for getting through a recession?

bahahaaaaa They are horrible sausages as well!!

We had an Atari STE 520 and it was awesome. The games on it were cracking! Still some of my best times! Since then I've had every console going I think. SNES, N64, Dreamcast, GameCube, PS1, 2,3&4, Xbox and XboxOne, Wii, Wii Uand the Nintendo Switch! 

We are often experts at getting in our own way, and we find ourselves cleaning out the fridge to put off a task we don’t want to do.

Whether it is phoning to renew the car insurance or dealing with the ever growing email inbox, there’s always a reason to delay it.

But that weighs us down as it niggles away all day and can drag on for weeks if you’re not careful.

Joking aside it can be huge issue when it comes to your business. Putting off outbound calls, reconciling the accounts, chasing invoices or writing this month’s blog post. They can all stand in the way of your business growing.

So, here are my top tips of how to get out of your own way and quit procrastinating!

1. Make a list and make it realistic - planning 40 things to do in 2 hours will overwhelm you and you’ll end up doing none. Prioritize what actually needs to be done and if you have tasks playing on your mind which can actually wait, plan them for another day. Rewriting them on the to do list every day is just disheartening. Planning your week on a Sunday can really help with this. Look ahead see what needs to be done.
2. Eat the frog – do the worst task first! There’s always one thing we are putting off the most, and it is usually not nearly as bad once you face it. So, pick up that phone and book your dentist appointment, or whatever it might be.
3. Time block – allocate time slots for each task you have (realistic ones). This is a powerful tool when used correctly. There are plenty of calendar apps or planners that can help. I still like a written planner.
4. Break down big tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. Again, this helps reduce overwhelm and also helps with time blocking as it is easier to estimate the time the smaller tasks will take.
5. Remember to have breaks, you can’t get things done if you are hungry and you can only concentrate for short periods anyway. Remember to allow for breaks when time blocking. Having food and drink breaks is important for productivity. Perhaps even a walk round the block to get you moving and away from your desk.
6. Get rid of distractions – turn notifications off on your mobile. Social media is the biggest time sink ever! Getting that notification that Auntie Maureen liked your latest cat meme isn’t important. And even work messages can wait 30 minutes. Emails and messages should be dealt with at set times ideally, otherwise they suck time away from tasks that really need to be finished.
7. Finish things!! Personally, I am a sucker for shiny object syndrome, and I get distracted by new ideas and tasks all the time. Writing what I have to do on a black and white list in front of me is needed to keep me on task. And when I get new ideas or try and start things, I try and write that down to do another time. Having a regular brain storming time will help with this, maybe when you got for your walk round the block!
8. If it’s something you don’t HAVE to do then outsource it! Don’t forget people like VAs are brilliant to use when you are struggling to find time for all the everyday work tasks. Freeing you up to work on your business not just in it!

  Are you prone to procrastination?

Do you mean the buck stops with you? 

I think finding the right coach takes time and a lot of trust. And they need to align with most of your personal beliefs about business and life and you need to get along.

You also want someone with an exceptional track record, there's a lot of people who failed with their own business so became a coach. 

Haha yes we do get it here and it's less pleasant as most people don't have air con. I wish it would just be consistently 25 with sunshine. But no, it has to be 300 degrees or raining and cold. 

The weather has been SO HOT in the UK. So clearly we need a thread about it. 

The British love to discuss the weather, but frankly I don't feel like I'm in Britain. There's huge storms due to the intense heat today and it's set to continue. 

Of course then it'll be rain non stop for a week and we'll all be moaning about that instead!

So are you a lover of this heat, pretending you're abroad or hateful that you're so hot you can't function?