The economic trends for 2023 already seem to be well signposted: inflation, interest rate rises, talk of QT (Quantitative Tightening – Governments reducing money supply through management of borrowing and bonds). Yesterday I ran a finance training session for a property and construction group. On their minds were the importance of tenants paying rent on…
It is not in the stars. “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.”― John Kenneth Galbraith The economic news of the last week is not difficult to interpret. Economic forecasting has always been about more questions than answers. I suggest one question in particular. Look at a few economic indicators…
Changing after decades The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has been felt around the world, especially acutely in the UK. Hers was an excellent example of service, stability and continuity in a changing world. The news of her passing reached me as I arrived in Albania and going through TV channels from the region…
One of my very regular clients paid a couple of invoices, on time as they always do. Except one invoice was missing. I am going to name and shame the guilty culprit. Naturally I sent them a polite reminder, to which they said, yes: it’s been paid. There followed a pantomime like “Oh no it…
Slack – or resilience? My number one activity this week – hanging around. I have been called for Jury Service, which in the UK means being available to sit on a jury to decide whether someone is guilty or not guilty in a court case. A jury usually has 12 people, and these are randomly…
Two tribes Delighted to have bumped into two celebrities in recent days. I cannot claim to be an avid follower of every influencer or even every social media platform, but as with many of us, there some people with a public profile that I warm to. These two make an interesting contrast. Trinny Woodall –…