Businesses must turn off the TV and bounce back from the Brexit vote
The Brexit vote has sent shockwaves across the world. In the
hours and days that followed Britain’s decision to leave the European Union
following a national referendum, UK businesses saw a third wiped off their
value, Britain dropped a place in the global GDP rankings, we lost our AAA
credit ratings and global markets plummeted as the pound crashed in value.
The media is wallowing in the deluge of bad news and,
unsurprisingly, business leaders are deeply concerned.
However, I’m not. In any financial crisis I turn off the
televisions, cancel the newspaper subscriptions and turn a blind eye to the bad
news. Today, I’m calling on every business leader across the UK and beyond to
do exactly the same. Ignore the negative publicity and realise that this is a
new opportunity for us all.
Time to ignore
politics and focus on new opportunities
Both the Leave and Remain campaigns failed businesses and
the public alike. They threw around insults, made half-hearted attempts at
scaring people and boiled the whole referendum down to an immigration issue.
Little was provided in the way of facts and they confused everyone beyond
belief.
The result of all of this was that people were forced to
make an emotional decision, not an informed one. This Brexit vote and the
political chaos in America have simply demonstrated that many people have become
disenchanted with politicians.
We can’t afford to let ourselves focus on the ambitions of
two peroxide blond middle-aged men whose honesty is as questionable as their
natural hair colour – we must now focus on new opportunities.
The world still wants
British businesses
This vote hasn’t changed anything. UK companies can still
trade with the EU and even after this process is completed, EU companies
certainly won’t shut the door. We are a very important market, the sixth
largest economy in the world. We are innovative, we embrace international trade
and we are renowned for quality and honesty.
I’m not worried about my business. I launched thebigword in
1980 when 124 companies a week were closing down. I ignored the negative
publicity then and I have done in every financial crisis since.
Today, thebigword has world-beating technology and exceptional
levels of service. The result won’t change that and we will continue to do what
we always do. We are still getting a large number of enquiries from the EU and
around the world and I don’t expect that to change.
British businesses are used to beating the competition and
we will continue to do so. We must all now focus on the positive and continue
to build on the position of strength we are currently in.
Forging global
partnerships
Relationships and broader ambitions will be key. thebigword
works with the UK Government – we’ve won £180m in business from various
departments in recent weeks – and a range of public sector bodies and global
brands around the world. Those relationships won’t change as a result of the Brexit
vote and I believe they will get even stronger as our partners and clients turn
to us for the support they need to forge new international relationships.
The world has enormous potential and it is easier than ever
for businesses to access international markets. However, we can’t be
complacent. We must work hard to sell more internationally and communicate more
effectively in a language that speaks to customers around the world.
Exports are critical
to the future of the UK economy. We’ve been told that we must export more in
recent years, but we’ve seen little in the way of growth in international trade
– that was when it was supposedly easier as a member of the EU.
We are still a
member of the EU and I’m confident we will be able to barter new trade deals.
However, this vote reminds us that we must look beyond the EU and at new
markets. It really is a world of opportunity and we must all work to embrace
global deals.
Britain has a heritage of international trade
Britain’s businesses
helped build and shape the world today – go back 100 years and we were all
exporting to every corner of the globe. We are still world leaders and every
country still associates brand Britain with quality. We need to recapture our
international spirit and work together to conquer the global business world
once again.
There are fewer
barriers to trade than ever before and we need to make sure we are
communicating in a language that the whole world can understand and buy into.
Larry.
