What can businesses really do to cope with the uncertainty of Brexit?
As the deadline of 29 March grows closer the uncertainty surrounding Brexit seems to heighten. One might have hoped the long awaited parliamentary vote on Mrs May’s deal would bring some clarity and resolution but sadly the fiasco continues unabated.
So as you sit in your office wondering what on earth you can do to control events for your business and plan for the future you would be forgiven for feeling somewhat helpless. Yes the decisions which will be made are totally beyond our control but there are things you can do to take control for your business.
To take control you need to sit back and take a clinical look at your business. Don’t rely on a model of working that may have served you well for years. We live in changing times and you need to change too. Firstly look at where your supplies come from. If they come from Europe now is the time to look further afield. The EU accounts for just 15% of world trade (a figure that has been falling steadily since the 1980’s), and there is a whole world out there offering to sell you goods often at better rates than you are currently obtaining.
You may of course say well it doesn’t affect me because I buy my supplies in the UK, but pause for a minute, where is your supplier sourcing from? If you don’t know you need to ask NOW! If they are sourcing from the EU you are vulnerable to Brexit. You need to consider switching to other non-EU suppliers – perhaps buying directly from overseas rather than relying on UK suppliers. Daunting? Yes but if you get the right help it can be easy AND can save you money as well as insulating you against Brexit. We have helped many companies (small and large) source supplies from outside China the world’s second biggest economy. A good import/export trading company like China-UK TC will take care of everything for you – leaving you to concentrate on what you do best – run your business.
Next week we will look at how to protect your sales against Brexit. One final word of warning if you think it will all be over on 29 March think again. It WONT! That is just the start of negotiations and the uncertainty is set to continue for at least another two years and depending on the outcome of current negotiations possible a lot longer than that.