How's Business for You?

This is a question I've been asked daily in the last month. Mainly by other business owners.

And some funny things have happened in response to my answer.

Business is good for us. We've had our busiest year (ever), we're recruiting, expanding and continuing to develop. The future is looking rosy. When we tell people this, a look of relief comes over their face and they whisper in hushed tones "Us too."

It would seem that in amidst this recession that there are a good many businesses who are doing very well indeed. Businesses who are struggling (in a good way) to keep up with demand. Businesses who are expanding, employing and charging their way through the recession.

But these businesses are, for some unknown reason, scared to shout about it.

The media is piled high with failure stories. Shop closure after shop closure. It's almost as if success in this volatile market (one which is clearly full of opportunities for the most versatile of entrepreneurs) is a dirty word.

So come on, if you are doing well, let's shout it from the roof tops. It's not a crime to perform well during a recession - in fact it's a good sign. It's a sign that things are not as bad as they seem. That the "green shoots" of growth are, indeed, there. That it's not all doom and gloom. That people and businesses are still spending money (despite numerous reports to the contrary).

The pundits don't always get it right. But who can blame them if these success stories are all being kept hush hush?