All ready for 2022? What could possibly go wrong?

Many news reports in recent days have highlighted the pressures to be faced; rising energy bills, the continued loss of key employees with Covid, uncertainty, inflation and the challenges in rebuilding.

Most business leaders know they face tough challenges; they simply want stability and certainty with which to plan. So many businesses have been forced to prepare a Plan A, B and C.

At the same time, the pressures on companies to improve in sustainability and consider climate change will only grow. Stock markets face volatility and investors will see both greater risk but also opportunity.

The good news is that economists do suggest stronger than forecast growth during 2022 which is news which is very much needed; it may be less than 2021 but still, solid growth is predicted to be 4% globally.

Of course, the year will once again start slowly and many are forecasting that many companies will be lost in Q1. Inflation could be the greatest threat yet with a forecast of 6% inflation by the spring. However, Hospitality has been working with greater challenges in the past few months with inflation averaging around 11-14%. The challenge will be to work through to Q2 and start to see some real light.

There will be good businesses lost in the next quarter. There will be new businesses emerging. It will test the nerve of leaders and investors alike. However, the good news is that the UK is better placed today than one year ago and many do believe that we are in the final furlong of this covid journey. Investors appear keen to invest in the UK. There will be new success stories to emerge.