It appears I created my headstone message in a meeting this week. No I'm not on my way out (well at least I don't think so) but I summarised what our response to the economic downturn needed to be, which is to be creative, innovative and do more of the same.

My team won't let me forget this and my co-director Gareth Osborne very kindly translated into Latin - Partum innovatium quod magis of idem eadem idem - any Latin scholars out there please confirm what this really means LOL!

But seriously, we are in economic decline but don't forget we have had 16 years of quarter by quarter growth, so just like 'whatever goes up can come down', 'whatever goes down can, and in the case of the economy, will come up', so dig yourselves in and be creative, innovative, and if you strongly believe you are working hard and smart, do more of the same.

Let's Talk The Economy Up

Many would agree the press have done an exceptional job in talking down the UK and global economies during the recent economic downturn, but would confidence be as low as it is if they had talked things up rather than down.

Come on Webspace, let's start talking things up and being positive. The sun still shines and the rain still falls. Cars, vans, lorry's and motorbikes can still be seen on our roads. Office and shop doors are still opening and closing at the beginning and end of a hard day's work. People are still living. I even heard people are sharing more intimate time together!

In all of your blogging, networking, marketing and promotion, talk things up. Let's fight negativity with positivity and who knows it might not actually be as bad as we read every morning.

C.

Bonus Culture

Forgive me if I am wrong but if the Public hadn't bailed out the banks, they would have gone into administration and the majority of those working for them would have lost their jobs.

Surely the reaction is "phew, I still have a job, what a result because in normal circumstances I would be looking for another and in the bankng sector they are few and far between", not "I am really dissapointed I'm not getting my contractual bonus this year"!

Oh, that's alright then ....

Good news, our Head Bankers have apologised! That will probably make it OK then; normal service will be resumed and everyone will feel safe and secure in the knowledge that it was just a simple miscalculation. Funny how that excuse didn't work for my cash flow projections in the past!

Lord Stephenson, the former Chairman of HBOS said "The fundamental mistake of HBOS was the failure to predict the wholesale collapse of the wholesale markets."

It's a start but I think we need to see an awful lot more sincerity and greater humility in the coming weeks if they hope to regain the smallest shred of dignity.

Gareth