If like most ambitious business owners your focus is on growth, have you formulated a plan on how to achieve that growth in 2019? Will you increase your market share, your Average Order Value, or entice your customers to purchase more frequently? Ultimately every sales plan boils down to one or more of these three strategies. However, the experts are warning that 2019 is expected to be a tough year for growth.
Now, I’m no economist but the signs are all there. Oil prices have been steadily creeping upwards since the middle of 2016 (and were at their highest just before the last crash), inflation is rising, house prices are stalling (except in the capital), the US economy is overcooking it’s bacon, cheap Chinese imports continue to undermine many markets, the high street is in decline as we continue to change our shopping habits, the Italian banks are overinvested in Turkey (potentially threatening the financial stability of the EU) and Interserve are asking their creditors for a rescue deal and that’s before we even discuss Brexit. (Note: at the time of writing May has just delayed the commons vote so who knows what the outcome will be by the time you are reading this!)
My apologies if you were expecting one of my usual positive and upbeat columns to kick-off the new year, when instead I’m as cheery as the grim reaper, but the fact is…
Read the full original article here >>> Northern Insight Magazine – Business