Take this Michelle Obama advice during challenging times for businesses - Andrea Morrison

This week I’ve been chatting to numerous businesses who are feeling just like that, they have faced a pandemic, rising fuel costs, late payments and now simply the cost of doing business is just too much – one cafe business reported that the cost of cocoa powder had risen from £5.25 a kilo last month to a staggering £12.95 this month.

But it’s not just the figures that aren’t stacking up. In the Federation of Small Business’s latest regional Small Business Index, the confidence level for Yorkshire, Humber and the North East is at -38 (last month it was -26) which translates to ‘significant pessimism’.

However, in the same report 42 per cent of small businesses in the region said ‘their growth aspirations in the next 12 months were to grow rapidly or moderately’, so even in these desperate circumstances there are many businesses who are clinging on to the hope that there will be better days on the horizon.

So how do we harness that hope? How can we, as business owners, nurture that optimism so that it becomes our reality in the face of such difficult times?

What came to my mind is a beautiful quote by Michelle Obama; “Don’t make

decisions based on fear. Make decisions based on hope and possibility. Make decisions based on what should happen, not what shouldn’t.”

For me, as a small business owner myself, this can be transformative advice. I was chatting to a start up the other day who described ‘these two voices in my head’ one gives me amazing ideas that are fully of energy and possibility, the other tells me everything that can go wrong and finds fault’. The truth is we all have this, in one way or another. There is part of our mind that drives us forward, enables us to evolve and grow, it’s a fundamental part of humanity to ensure that we don’t stay the same, it may feel like a gut feeling or a knowing.

However, there is another part that keeps us safe, where all our experiences (and other people’s), knowledge, ideas are stored.

This part often feels fuelled with feeling and emotion, it feels strong and can be hard to ignore.

When faced with a step forward we have to balance these two parts of our mind, decide which one to listen to, take notice of. In times of crisis, such as we are in now, the voice of safety can feel loud and strong, with an abundance of ‘facts’ backing up why we shouldn’t take whatever step we need to take and stay where we are right now.

However, it is often the quieter, hopeful voice that is the one we should listen to more, the one that is coming up with solutions, ideas, creative workarounds.

Often it is that voice that is like a single lit candle in another wise dark room showing us the way through.

Whilst it may feel like we are taking a risk, stepping in unknown territory, it is often following that voice that enables us to feel empowered, confident, free even from the challenges that we face. And even if things don’t turn out as we thought they might do, one thing is certain, we will get through and we will be ok.

Andrea Morrison is a Business and Leadership Coach, TedX speaker and writer. Visit andreamorrison.co.uk