Last week I was rattling around the country.
Market towns. High streets. Little cities. Big chats with shopkeepers and business owners. Bumping into a few supporters of the YouTube channel who were hard at it along the way.
And it really opened my eyes being around retail this close to Christmas Eve.
If you’re a retail business and you’re not taking proper money between now and Christmas Eve… you’re never going to.
That’s not me being dramatic. That’s just how these businesses work.
This is cash on two legs. Impulse buying. Emotion. People wanting to please someone else. People spending because it feels good, not because it’s logical.
And the owners who were winning? You could spot them a mile off.
They were the ones saying to themselves:
“I’m going the extra mile to make sure that WE are the chosen ones for supplying presents and gifts.”
Windows dressed like they actually cared. Lights warm, not miserable. Music on. Smiles that weren’t forced. Little promotions. Free mince pies. Bowls of sweets.
All the old tricks and flicks.
They were doing everything they could to make it easy for someone to say yes.
Now here’s the sad bit.
Ninety percent plus of businesses in this country are run by decent, hard-working people. People who just want ownership of their own lives. Their own decisions. Their own destination.
And they’re being taxed, squeezed, rented, and regulated to the point of exhaustion by a system that hasn’t worked for as long as I can remember.
Four-year terms. Big promises.
First year, break them.
Second year, try weird and wonderful ideas.
Third year, realise there’s an election coming and attempt to undo the damage.
Final year, give stuff away to win favour back.
Rinse and repeat.
We can shout from the sidelines all we like. It doesn’t change much.
So here’s the uncomfortable truth.
You and I can’t control any of that.
What we can control is this.
Your business has to become its own little survival unit. Profitable. Sustainable. Scrappy. Promotional. Always moving.
Backup plans. Extra offers. Lean into the difficulty instead of sulking about it. Make selling part of the daily grind, not something you hope magically happens.
Because the people who win aren’t waiting for things to improve.
They’re improving anyway.
I spoke last week about being grumpy. And I don’t want to be.
I want to be optimistic. Forward-thinking. A positive entrepreneur and mentor to others coming through the ranks.
But when I feel myself getting out of shape about all this, that’s how I know things are tight out there.
So keep going.
Feed that needy economy with value. With British businesses worth buying from. With effort people can feel the moment they walk through the door.
And if you keep seeing yourself as the person who succeeds, you’ve got to make the changes that person would make.
That’s how you become truly epic.
If I’m lucky, I’ll see you again.
James
P.S - Ever wondered why frisbees get bigger and bigger…
and then it hits you.