The fourth in the series of PM+M’s ‘Navigating the Now and Next’ events took place earlier today, aimed at helping businesses manage the ongoing challenges of the present and understand what support is available as we look forwards.
The session, hosted by PM+M’s Neil Welsh and The Landmark, with panellists Andrew Leeming (Boost), Gareth Frankland (Get Focused), Nikki Whittle (Brabners Solicitors), James McIntyre (PM+M) and Andi Lewis (Mindsight Connect) saw discussions encouraging business owners to look for support and advice, emphasising the importance of financial planning, business health and our own mental health as core contributors to wellbeing.
A recurring theme was that delegates are very much looking toward a brighter future, but that we must firstly deal with the ‘now’ by encouraging business owners to be less fearful in asking for help, whether this be from a financial adviser, a lawyer, public sector organisation such as Boost Business Lancashire or a wellbeing architect. The overarching message was that assistance is available to help your business achieve more; and the reminder that it is important to take a moment to step back from being ‘in’ your business and give yourself time to adopt strategic thinking ‘on’ your business too, with significant benefits to be had by having a third-party perspective to assist you with seeing things more clearly.
James McIntyre (PM+M) highlighted the key point that financial planning is now more important than ever. 12 months ago, the main worries in the 2020 investment world were that of the US Presidential Elections and Brexit, closely followed by coronavirus which turned our world upside down. This emphasises the significance of contingency planning (it’s just as important to plan for a rainy day as a sunny one); James noted that individuals should start with the destination and work backwards from there, identifying what needs to be in place to help you get there.
James stressed the importance of working with a financial adviser to support you on your journey and help you achieve your objectives, and it was discussed that the majority of advisers offer free, confidential initial meetings (as we do here at PM+M). This can be used as a way of ascertaining the adviser who is the right fit for you, ensuring they can give you the help you need and determining if you will work well together.
The event also shone a light on the importance of mental health, with panellist Andi Lewis (Mindsight Connect), giving a wealth of advice on the importance of looking after yourself and prioritising you at the present time and as a future habit. As we all know, working from home and lack of social interaction can have a detrimental effect on our mental wellbeing therefore Andi emphasised why we should take time to focus on ourselves and determine what sparks our positivity.
All in all, the theme of remaining positive and looking towards brighter days shone through in today’s event, and the ‘don’t delay, do it today’ approach to gaining assistance for you and your business, whether this be mental health support, financial advice or business guidance was a key takeaway for all involved.
It was a productive and enjoyable session, highlighted in the feedback received from Paul Collis, Founder and Director of Virtual FDS, who commented “really enjoyed the session this morning…really good cross section of guests all with a different perspective on business, planning for the future and also looking after ourselves. I’ll definitely be looking to attend similar events in the future”.
Gareth Frankland also commented “Great to be on the panel at this morning’s event, what a fab bunch! A broad range of well considered topics which interlinked nicely, from growing businesses in Lancashire, to selling your business, keeping sane and remaining positive – a fantastic sense of shared sense of shared purpose and knowledge – bravo!”
Should you wish to discuss your own situation, or seek advice for your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Neil Welsh today who will happily point you in the right direction.
