Six years after it began in a flurry of banking disasters and housing collapses the end appears in sight. The Long recession that has dictated both opportunity and direction for business since it began in 2008 finally appears to be nearing its end. The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has announced that the UK economy will finally have grown above its pre-crash levels with 2014 expected to be a year of growth. Mr Longworth, head of the BCC was reported by the BBC as saying: "It is really great that next year the UK economy is finally expected to bounce back from the deepest recession in modern time… (but) …as household consumption slows in the medium term, we have to find ways of boosting business investment and exports, as rebalancing our economy is critical to our long-term economic future.”
Further reports released this past week suggest that the UK might even be on-course to overtake Germany as the leading economy in Europe. The predictions being that by 2017 it will have overtaken France and then by 2030 the German economy to be the largest economy in the continent.
With the green shoots of recovery increasingly present across the economy, now is the time for businesses to move from the cautious stance of recent years and look towards a return to growth and prosperity. Whether planning new business ventures or entirely new business the time has come for every company to plan for a changed future.
In making such plans, the prudent Employer must consider not only the development of their business but also the development of their employees. Do they have the skills and training needed to play their part as your business moves forward? If they don’t then there are three recourses for the business that needs to expand its capabilities:
You can hire new staff – but this comes with its own risks. You can never be entirely sure just what you’re getting until your new Employee is settled in and properly working for your company. Mistakes at this point are expensive and the role you require adding to the company might not be sufficient to justify the complications that expanding the payroll will inevitably bring.
You can Outsource – but whenever you outsource you are effectively putting elements of your business into the hands of others. It’s taking a risk and the more important the task or role being performed the more your company may suffer if something goes wrong. This is without considering that the cost of specialists and consultants is rarely cheap.
You can Train and Invest in your own Staff. – Choosing to focus on developing the talents and skills of the people already in your employ can reap a handsome dividend. Crucially as an Employer you will largely be aware of the people already working for you. You’ll know who can be trusted with greater responsibility and who has potential within your company that is not being exploited for the companies gain.
ADL offers a range of courses suitable to expanding the skills and knowledge of staff from across a wide range of fields from book keeping, to even management to horticulture; offering everything you need to invest in the real wealth of your company – your employees.
2013 is over and it’s time to face the bright new future. Are you ready?
