Getting out of the armchair

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce Chat with Alistair Eagles

In business, as in life, there can be a natural tendency to take your foot off the gas, to assume that things will remain the same, to relax and sit back in the metaphorical armchair.  

It is a common enough event which we can all relate to, putting off an important decision, burying our head in the sand or assuming that our fortunes, good or bad, will simply continue, irrespective of our actions. Clearly there are times when taking a big risk does not pay off, but it is also surprising to see how a real belief in an end outcome can often create the new reality. 

To challenge yourself, to fundamentally believe that an idea will work, and to share with and encourage your work colleagues can have surprisingly positive results.

Of course belief is nothing with the accompanying knowledge of the issue. Fusing belief and knowledge together creates something rarely written or talked about in the business books - 'gut feeling'. It is not an easy one to document and certainly challenging at times but I remain a firm advocate of basing decisions on gut feeling. Does it feel right or not?

My gut feeling about the Lancaster and Morecambe area is that the new M6 link road provides a massive opportunity for us all, but we need to collectively ensure we are doing enough to maximise the gain. The real benefits of the 'Bay Gateway' will not be reaped if take our foot off the gas and expect it to happen. The moment the ribbon is cut there will not automatically be a line of tourist buses heading our way, extra traffic for the port will not simply appear and new companies will not suddenly relocate to the area, unless we challenge ourselves with a shared belief.

There has never been a better time to look at your business or new business idea and, with your knowledge, put your belief into action. With this self-belief and some calculated risk taking, we can turn a collective gut feeling into new reality for this area.

It really is time to get out of the armchair!

 Alistair Eagles is CEO of Seatruck Ferries and a Chamber Ambassador.