Profits are up at Currys, PC World and Asda. Outgoing Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King has revised upwards the bank’s growth forecast for the year and the CBI too is a bit more optimistic about “more balanced growth” in the economy.
Add to this, results from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ latest survey showing that house buying enquiries had reached their highest level for three years and in April the Ernst & Young ITEM Club predicting a pick up in the housing market activity to almost pre-2007 levels.
Some would argue that Chancellor Osborne’s Funding for Lending and Help to Buy schemes are finally helping potential home buyers but let’s not get carried away here.
Was it not unwise lending on housing that led to the unsustainable property bubble that precipitated the 2008 economic meltdown?
Despite the unseasonably chilly May are these reliable signs of green shoots?
Or are we collectively clutching at short term straws?
We should remember that banks are still weighted down by illiquid assets such as commercial property, investors continue to seek short term gain rather than investing in the longer term future and politicians think only in career terms of keeping their seats in the next election.
Clutching at short term straws will not fix our economic problems. Investing in the longer term, in promising new companies, in support for R & D to keep our knowledge economy competitive overseas and investing in a sensible education and business support policy that provides the skilled workers for the future through apprenticeships just might give the economy a fighting chance.
In the meantime while it’s a bit early for SMEs to shift their focus away from managing cash flow it might be appropriate to revisit the business plan and model to identify any changes that should be made to prepare to take advantage of growth should it materialise.
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