Facing 2022

We are now two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus is showing a remarkable ability to adapt. In its latest form, the Omicron variant, it is proving to be more transmissible and successful at seeking out new hosts.

If we have learnt anything from the experience of the past two years of anxiety and disruption it’s that adaptability is a key response. Included in this newsletter are tips to stay ahead of these challenges from a business perspective.

Unfortunately, the need to safeguard the NHS means that our entertainment and hospitality trades will again be asked to bear the brunt of COVID-19 related disruption strategies.

It will be interesting to see, if in the coming year, government is again drawn into providing furlough or similar grants to sustain affected small business employers and the self-employed.

With inflation rising, currently 5.1%, Rishi Sunak will be scratching his head as printing money to fund further support is directly opposite to his Autumn Budget claims that he is now focussed on repaying government debt, and this largesse could fuel further inflationary pressures.

Resilience needs to be a worthwhile goal for 2022 but tempered with realism; we may be sometime away from relegating COVID-19 to the same nuisance value as the flu.