Firstly Happy New Year - I’m not sure that on the 20th Jan I really should still be saying that but as we’ve not spoken since December I feel it’s still appropriate.

So how have your first week’s back at work been?  The first week is always a bit surreal as you transition from family-man and/or party animal back into efficient business person.  These can often be my most productive weeks as I’m raring to go and have a great focus to really move forward this year.  I also start every new year with renewed optimism.  It’s like turning the page on last year’s challenges and opening  up a bright new clean sheet.  I do have my moments but generally I'm an optimist.  I really started out this year with the best of hopes - the recession was on it’s way and businesses were starting to hire/source/employ again. With that in mind it felt like a real slap across the face to have all these business pundits telling me that 2011 was going to be a tough year again.  So what do you do?

As an optimist and with a New Year I’m ready to take on new challenges, learn new skills and generally make a hugely positive impact on my business this year.  But with the constant barrage of negativity from the media is that so easy?

I do think that to some degree we were talked into this recession.  No doubt there was a lot of underhand activity that caused problems but would we all really have stopped spending if the media hadn’t been repeating over and over again the problems?  Frankly it was depressing, no wonder businesses started to pull budgets and not look forward but look to maintaining the status quo.

As a business we all know that the last things we should cut are marketing and training but they are still often the first things to be cut. It’s easy - they’re seen as costs and the return on investment is often cloaked in mystery.  How can you say that that major sale came as a result of a certain tradeshow?  Yes, you had a great presence and got lots of press material, and yes, your staff showed their team around the stand and did full product demonstrations but when the deal is done 3 months down the line the tradeshow (and hence marketing) will rarely get the glory.

So I’m going to walk the walk and talk the talk this year.  I’m starting off the year with a new marketing programme.  I’m investing in the future of my business by making sure that I contact all my ongoing prospects and clients in as many creative ways as I can come up with.  I’m also going to stop listening to the news radio when I get up and instead bounce out of bed with some great music.  Let’s start the year, and each day on a positive note and prove the pundits wrong!