I was just pondering over the 2014 business outlook and what might be in store for us this year.

Looking at some of the reports about where the FTSE 100 is heading, which is somewhere between 7,500 and 8,000 (As I’m writing this it stands at 6,834), one couldn’t help but think positive things about 2014.

Inflation is down to a reasonable level and near the Bank of England’s Target, so this will avoid the need for interest rate rises.

The property market has certainly picked up and at my last Beacon Network meeting all the business owners there gave a positive response on how their businesses were doing.

With interest rates still at an all-time low and with £250,000 of Annual Investment Allowance available until December this year for plant purchase, there is good reason to invest in your business and to grow and expand.

If you are the right kind of business and you are in the right area there is also the Regional Growth Fund available as a grant towards capital expenditure of up to 20%. However, in order to qualify for this you’ll need to demonstrate that for every £15,000 of grant you either save an existing job or create a new one.

So all in all in my opinion 2014 will be a great year for business – so if you don’t already have one, then a good time to set one up or to buy a business! Good luck and I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

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