Over the weekend my Mother-in-Law passed me a load of magazines that she thought I’d like. She did good. One article in particular from a design company in York really caught my eye. In very few words, Mat Lazenby summed up perfectly what’s been in my head recently…
Welcome to the Party
Ever been stuck at a party with the guy who thinks life is against him, never quite getting the job he wants, football team always losing, moaning that the weather is too hot or too cold, never seeing the good in people?
Well guess what, were all stuck in a dingy corner with that loser, he’s called the UK media.
The new topic of doom-bringing is of course the UK economy, recession, depression, economic crisis etc. etc. If there’s one thing more damaging to the economy than a downturn, its people losing their confidence. Unconfident people find it hard to act decisively, they find it hard to meet new people – its the same with businesses.
One of the reasons we’ve seen such incredible growth in the Creative Sector over the past 10 years is a massive influx of bright, sparky and above all confident businesses punching way above their weight. The cost of entry into the creative sector has also dropped dramatically over that period, making it relatively easy for 1-2 person businesses to set up with little risk – the companies that have stood the test of time and will go on to weather this particular economic storm are those who can run a lean and effective service that retains its creativity and confidence.
As far back as 1942 Joseph Schumpeter passionately argued in his book Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy that recessions are a necessary evil in capitalist societies. He states The “job” of a recession is to clean the “fat” out of the system, mop up excess, and pave the way for the next expansion. Until that process is complete, there isn’t much from which a legitimate expansion can arise.
During these uncertain times it pays to go back to where you started, what was the original motivation behind the business, dust off the vision statement and return to that business plan. As a design business LazenbyBrown help companies locate and promote that special something about them, the unique service, approach or product that sets them apart from their competition. If you can place this uniqueness centre stage and make it the reason people do business with you it can have a profound effect on the strength of your business.
So, don’t listen to that loser at the party, be confident, be smart and meet the future head on.
Mat Lazenby, Director of Shambles-based design company LazenbyBrown
www.lazenbybrown.com
The article is taken from October’s issue of Beyond York magazine. www.beyondmediagroup.co.uk
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