Any organisation, from solopreneur to multi-national, have to sell, the basics of any deal are: offer, acceptance, consideration.

Consideration is what each party gets from the deal, the tangible benefits from the fair exchange of value. Yet, it's often the less tangible elements that impact us more. Choices have consequences beyond the words in the contract.

When we buy locally we strengthen local economies and also build resilience and self-reliance closer to home. Choosing to support each other will be the best way communities can survive what is looking likely to be quite a lot of economic uncertainty ahead.

Preparation is the practise of risk mitigation and right now I would be urging all the small business owners to review all their risks, and reduce as much of the uncertainty there is in your field of view. As we have been through, global events can happen seemingly out of nowhere, reduce the impact of the unknown, and control what you can. Try not to worry too much about things outside your sphere of influence.

The worst time to make a disaster plan is during a disaster, it's like buying fire insurance for a burning building, not likely to end well. So get started today. Make a list of all the risks large and small and what you would do in each scenario. Doesn't have to be Armageddon to impact your daily operations, think; lack of fuel, or interruption of energy supply as current risks. What else will depend on your specific business, but you could always ask AI for a starter to do list for your style of business, go from there.

I'm not suggesting the sky is falling, but when all is chaos, customers seek certainty, so what are you doing to ensure your customers can rely on you?

By Stuart Morrison