The ramblings from a director of a digital agency Part 29

What a few weeks! This is my first blog in what seems an eternity but is only actually three weeks. It's also my 29th ramble this calendar year.

I am writing this from my holiday retreat, the picture is of my work place. I took myself away from the hustle and bustle of Northamptonshire on Wednesday evening to spend a couple of days working totally remotely from my family's Norfolk base. Mainly to get some proper head space, and to catch up properly without the usual distractions... whether they be work ones or family ones. Or just daily 'rat race' ones. I love Northamptonshire but in terms of day to day life I much prefer the slower pace of Norfolk where I find it so much easier to get my head down and concentrate whilst mixing the day up with a walk down the beach and thinking whilst watching the waves lap up. Bliss.

I didn't ramble last week or the week before because quite frankly, no one is going to be interested in my thoughts about the Queen and there was more than enough coverage of that 'event' on all of the news channels, social media outlets and wherever you looked or went. Suffice to say it was pretty overwhelming for most of us. I do not consider myself to be a royalist, however I totally respect our monarchy and what it brings to our amazing country. Just a few words are needed here... God bless the Queen. And long live the King.

This week has started to feel much more normal. Political arguments have returned as the government re-emerges from our constitutional lockdown and announces a series of changes that will affect us all. Time will tell if they are successful, like most I suspect I very much hope they are. From yours truly, it does and pardon the term here... feel a bit 'sh1t or bust' - or in a footballing analogy (which I love to use) - we've put two extra strikers on the pitch in our search for a late equaliser but at the expense of two defenders. This gung-ho approach may pay dividends, or it could massively backfire and result in a heavy defeat given the lack of defensive cover as we push more players forward in search of a goal. Note that I am not in any way demonstrating here my political ideology (mainly because it's very mixed up with aspects of so many), I am just stating a fact that we are now very much heading into the unknown and I guess at this stage it's down to personal opinion whether or not this strategy will work. It is what it is as they say... and as a business owner and someone who considers himself to be quite entrepreneurial and will give most things a go... I will knuckle down and try my hardest to surf the waves. If they become too big, I will just buy myself a bigger surfboard. That's how I look at things... if I'm powerless I do not worry about it, I try and find a solution that will benefit the businesses I am involved with as well as other stuff that is outside of work. Pulling down the shutters is never my answer, we must market ourselves more now than we have done for many a year. So it’s' very much game on!!

In the very short term, we still have two vacancies to fill which are advertised on this website. Our IT business has already won a sprinkling of new clients. This week we have welcomed three brand new clients to the good ship Seventy9 and we very much look forward to working with them all. We are back to winning business after a two-week sabbatical when the country pretty much stood still. The last quarter will be our best to date, I reckon. The gloomy clouds will be replaced by a sunny sky... whether that sun lasts or not, 'I ain't gonna worry about it' - you can't control the weather! :)

Outside of the rat race, the mighty Cobblers continue to march on and are currently placed 3rd and very much looking like a team which can sustain another promotion push. I am back to a reasonable level of fitness after some sustained time on court these past 2-3 weeks. Our allotment needs digging. My grandson is growing quickly and is gorgeous, almost three months old now. My son is doing very well at school and continues to develop into a brilliant and quirky brain box with a real talent for theatre. I also celebrated my 50th birthday last Tuesday. I got a banjo (wanted one for years) and the Cobblers kindly gave me three points in the evening. A very happy day.

Keep the faith peeps... it's in your own hands! :)

Shane