Many years ago, I came across a series of books. I think there were several of them but the one that I stumbled across was titled “Start late, Finish Rich” by David Bach. Basically, it was a book that pointed out that if you had done all the right things early enough you would now be heading for financial independence but that it is never too late to start.

I think it was also the same author who introduced me to the Latte Factor. It is based around the idea that small regular expenditure soon adds up. So, if you are the sort of person who buys a Latte and possibly a muffin on the way to work every day, you are probably spending over £20 a week. That money invested would give you £1040 per annum plus interest. Then if you add in all those other little non-essentials (my ice cream on a Friday afternoon is essential so does not count), you will build up a significant amount in your savings pot. Now extend this over 10, 20 or 30 years and see what the financial effect would be.

By the way, I have known plenty of people who bought a coffee and took it into their offices whether that be London, Inverness, or Kirkwall. It happens!

Anyway, the point of Start Late, Finish Rich was not to punish anyone for not starting to save early enough. It’s a bit like the saying about the best time to plant a tree … 20 years ago. When is the next best time to plant a tree … now. You cannot change what has been. You cannot go back and re-write the pages in the book of your life. You did what you did, for good or ill, and you did not do what you did not do, however much you have regretted it in the years since.

Put it another way. The pages of your life to date have been written and cannot be changed. Your story up to this point is now fixed, but it is never too late to change the ending in your book.

So, how do you go about planning the synopsis for the ending to your book. You need to know what the final chapters are going to look like. You need to know where you are going, then you can flesh out the plot for the intervening chapters. You then have your story outline but as you start to write your book by living it day to day, you never know what twists and turns there might be in the plot that you had not envisaged when you started to plan your story. That’s ok, because that is just the nature of life. If you need to, just start a new page in your book and carry on.

You cannot stop. Your book will continue until you have popped your clogs, but it is up to you to decide what gets written on each page. Your book will come to an ending, so make sure it is your ending.

Covid has made many people question the course of their lives and especially their working lives. I think we will see many businesses disappear over the next 12 months. But we will also see others either rising out of the ashes or set up by people seeking a new direction, possibly after having been made redundant. It is going to be a tough couple of years but where there is turmoil and upheaval there is also opportunity. Will this be part of your book?

If you want to discuss a business idea, or perhaps you already have plans in place for your new business, and would like to discuss it with someone, just get in touch. Come in for a coffee and a chat, and we will not even charge you for the coffee.

If you are not sure where to find us, please click here.

Alan E Long

The Long Partnership

07770 738770