Believe it or not, good news is not in short supply – the broadcasting of it is.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the news was filled with stories of crime, terrorism, war, drug abuse, inequality, pollution, oppression. Constant exposure to bad news distorts people’s view of the world and, research has shown, can lead to ‘misperception of risk, anxiety, lower mood levels, learned helplessness, contempt and hostility towards others, desensitisation, fatalism…’. The list goes on.
Now more than ever, I am focusing on the little nuggets of good news in my corner of the globe. Like how my wife Fiona and I have maintained three or four ‘HIIT’ exercise/yoga sessions a week, our boys have really taken to Thai boxing lessons, we recently made Diwali cards for our neighbours and have enjoyed getting to know what natural beauty is right on our doorstep!
A real highlight of every week – at what some may consider an ungodly hour – is when I spring out of bed (or so Fiona says!) to meet with a like-minded group of local business people to laugh, learn and pass each other business. It’s pretty astounding to be able to report that amongst the terrible stories of many businesses (some household names) folding as a direct result of the pandemic, this group has been able to generate in excess of £600,000, of which £30,000 can be attributed to me. That’s £600k the group have put into our business community, ensuring many families of the self-employed stay ‘afloat’.
Look online and there are reams of articles about how the pandemic is changing how we do business in permanent, society-altering ways such as working from home, reducing the workforce and automating processes where we can. These trends are most likely going to continue long after the pandemic has subsided.
Of course, as business owners, growth in the business always remains high on our list of priorities. However, if we maintain this mentality long-term it may leave us vulnerable to big changes in the market – like a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. My view is that we need to give some serious thought as to how we make our businesses more sustainable. We need to rethink our business models to ensure our businesses are alive and well a year from now.
A year from now, one habit will remain the same for me: springing out of bed at an ungodly hour, building and consolidating my business relationships to create a trusted network of people who will continue to look out for me and my business. More importantly, a network of people I can genuinely help and to whom I can refer business. I will also be practising effective communication – showing that I care, asking people how they are and how I can help them.
If you would like to learn more about the group I talk about above and/or have a chat about your finances, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I may not have all the answers, but airing your worries may have great benefit.
Raj Shah is founder of Blue Wealth capital and has been shortlisted for Financial Planner of the Year and Investment Adviser of the Year