Wow, it’s hard to believe that as I type this, we’re in April and heading fast towards May. That’s the first quarter of the calendar year done and dusted, and the start of a new financial year! Where did the past year go?

I’m fortunate that I get to chat and work with lots of different business owners in a number of industries and I think I’m a pretty good gauge for what’s happening in the SME world at this point in time, at least in Hawke's Bay.

And if there was one word to sum things up at present, it would be AWARENESS.

AWARENESS that inflation is going to have a direct impact on Hawke's Bay businesses.

AWARENESS that supply chains are still under stress.

AWARENESS business owners need to mind the cash.

AWARENESS that we can’t hunker down and do nothing.

AWARENESS that we all still need to be proactive in our respective markets.

AWARENESS that there needs to be an investment in developing both teams and individuals. WATCH VIDEO – How to make your business like an F1 team 1m 40s.