And by ready, I mean they are ready for a break. If you are anything like me, you are far from prepared for Christmas itself but that’s another story.

I get a real sense that this year has really taken its toll on many business owners and leaders and just having those few days when the emails slow down is just what we need.

We’ve faced a lot of uncertainty over recent years and 2024 has been no different with our General Election here and the Presidential Election in the USA.

On the back of the election here, we had weeks of anticipation/fear of what the budget might look like and when it came around it certainly left businesses looking at rises in costs.

Across the pond, another Trump administration brings with it a huge amount of unpredictability.
Ultimately, while these events affect each and every one of us in business, we still have a good degree of control over our own destiny.

I would, therefore, urge every single business owner to use this down time to take stock and start to think about your short, medium and long-term plans.

We spend so much time working in the business, focussing on the day-to-day rather than taking the time to look ahead and plan.

So, this is a great opportunity to reflect on what has gone well and maybe where you can improve. But, ultimately, if you are still here and still in business it shows you have incredible resilience when you consider what we’ve all faced in the past decade. Use this time to celebrate that fact!

Also, with a bit of headspace, I would encourage you to take a look at the support that is available to you. 
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce can offer help in so many ways – whether you are looking to trade overseas or whether you are looking to grow your customer-base locally.

Again, it might be one of those things that you know you can make more of but day-to-day activities take over. Make a plan now that you are going to make the most of the help out there and it can be the stepping stone to your next piece of success.

Ultimately, this break will be a great chance to pause, recharge the batteries, spend time with loved ones but also reflect on everything you’ve achieved. And then we can come back in 2025 ready to go once again!