Plans – we all live our lives as a result of them, either directly or indirectly, be they our own plans or those of others. Right now we’re about to start living with a whole bunch of newly self-imposed ones – but for how long?
With the arrival of 2013, the question of plans is about as high profile as it could be. New Year resolutions are something that we traditionally make in the last few hours of the outgoing year – some are more like annual statements of intent but without any real conviction behind them – they’re the ones traditionally involving booze, cigarettes and exercise. Perhaps the Chancellor of the Exchequer should deliver a New Year budget on January 1 to help our resolutions stick, because in practice most will fail within the first 12 hours of the incoming year, rather than lasting longer.
TWELVE MONTHS OF PLANNING
There again, some resolutions DO stand the test of time, however publicly and with the state of the economy as it is now, I wonder whether this year we’ll be considering different kinds of resolution. Many businesses reckon that the nation lives life according to a 12-month cycle, starting and ending with the arrival of the new year. Right now there’s about to be a massive contraction in the amount of money circulating around the economy. It’s news scarcely worthy of note because with the end of the festive season there is a natural lull in spending as people await credit card bills, take maximum time to settle them and then move forward sometime in March or thereabouts. Traditionally the housing market used to see a lift around April, not only because of the arrival of spring but also because people were, perhaps, better able financially to take on the costs of a new house and all that that entails. That though was tradition in action – life is now somewhat different for us all. A contraction in spending WILL happen – the questions will be by how much and how long it will be before it expands again. For that, business needs to plan ahead, with obvious implications for jobs, incomes and the level of trade in which we might engage. Get it right, and the economy will expand at a sustainable level – get it wrong and we’ll either overcook or stagnate our way through 2013. If I’m sounding somewhat depressed, I don’t mean to be. It is said that fortune favours the brave – maybe government, local and national, needs to be brave as well as us as individuals too. Developments in education and transport here in Northampton are calculated gambles towards future investment in the town. More students living in the centre of it means more demand and more money in circulation – so too with transport.
SHOPPING LOCAL
Trade needs to be geared up to take advantage accordingly, but it also needs to be servicing current demand - not pulling its horns in. Last year was the year of Northampton BID – we now need proof that 2012 was more than an exercise in marketing and soundbite politics by attracting new trade into the town to grow and keep what money there is here in the area instead of seeing it disappear up the M6 or down the M1 – challenging.
And as for my 2013 resolutions? I moved house a fortnight before Christmas – I’m going to equip and maintain the new place through local businesses and trades wherever I can. Plus I’m gong to take a photograph of my surroundings every day to document the year, and take more exercise than I did in 2012. Given that I took very little then, it ought to be doable.
Happy New Year!
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