Merry Christmas Everyone….?

It is difficult to know in which sort of mood one should approach the coming festive season. On the one hand there is the inherent optimism that every entrepreneur lives by. On the other end there is the endless stream of economic statistics that leave us none the wiser as to whether we are finally on the road to recovery or facing the prospect of a triple dip recession.

Whatever mood you are in it surely cannot be enhanced by the behaviour of our elected representatives who on the one hand indignantly lambast greedy multinationals for applying laws that the MPs themselves have drafted and approved (although clearly not understood) whilst simultaneously hiring a lawyer to fight for the right to apply the letter of the dubious rules regarding their expenses and the profits made on their taxpayer financed second homes.

Clearly they have no idea of the further contempt that they are likely to be held in as their obvious self-interest is contrasted with the exhortation that we are all in this together.

The shenanigans surrounding MPs and big business seem a world away from the day to day struggles of those of us who work within enterprise Britain. And yet we need them both to wake up and realise that they have to get their combined acts together to keep the economy moving forward in a more sustainable way.

We need big business to play fair with their taxes and their wallets, using their cash piles to stimulate investment and pay their smaller suppliers on time. We need politicians to use their powers positively to deal with unnecessary regulation to help us deliver the growth that we know we can with the right support.

Wishful thinking? Maybe but it is the season of goodwill and goodwill is probably what the economy needs most right now.

Anyway I have decided to remain cheerful and am determined to have a good Christmas. 2013 will no doubt still provide lots of opportunities to those willing to go out there and grab them. To everybody out there, thank you for reading my thoughts this year and have a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.