THE OPPORTUNITIES

A renewed sense of purpose over the environment

‘Last year was a shared experience, one which has reaffirmed the joint sense of urgency across businesses and governments to take dramatic action to tackle climate change,’ says Lord Barker, executive chairman of aluminium producer En+. ‘A new year, a renewed sense of purpose. As businesses race to set net zero emissions targets, a critical consideration should be to secure low-carbon raw materials to significantly reduce the carbon footprints of their supply chains.

‘The positive impacts of sustainable housing, electric vehicles and recyclable packaging will only be accelerated and multiplied through ensuring that the materials such as aluminium, from which they are made, are produced in clean rather than hugely pollutive processes.’

A rise in entrepreneurship

‘We are in new territory and in many ways it is a once in a lifetime opportunity for starting something completely new,’ says Simon Paine, co-founder and CEO of the PopUp Business School. ‘We will never get a chance like this to step back, out of our day to day, to reflect and create something that is important to us and that people need. What do people want and need at this time? How can you serve them in a way that aligns with your passions and interests? Don’t focus on what is missing, what is lost and what is wrong. Start focusing on what is next, what is possible and what you can do. Your focus determines your results. Change your focus and you change the course of your destiny. Every single day, focus on what you can build and create, and work towards the future you desire.’

A rise in new female businesses

Joanna Swash runs outsourcing giant Moneypenny, which provides live chat functions for businesses and call centres across the UK. She believes that the changes wrought by the pandemic will benefit a new generation of women employees.

‘Just as the world wars led to changes in opportunities for female workers, so these new businesses and the hybrid office/home working system, will provide increased employment opportunities for women,’ she says. Moneypenny has recruited more than 300 employees since March, the majority of whom came from declining sectors – 23 per cent from hospitality and 29 per cent from retail, with the vast majority being female.’

A return to officewear

While we’ve all spent 2020 in our tracksuits, Jeffrey Doltis, Managing Director of tailor The Savile Row Company, says that 2021 will see the return of workwear.

‘Suits will have a place in 2021, but with a more relaxed feel, likely without a tie,’ he says. ‘When the population does start going back to their offices and start wearing suits again, I anticipate that they will want to update their collection to some extent and treat themselves to something new to spark the move away from their tracksuits. They may also need new suits to accommodate changes to their body shape from increased or decreased exercise during lockdown.’

A wellness revolution

We’ve all focused more on our health this year, and Bill Read, founder of kombucha brand Genie Living Drinks, says that this will continue in 2021, with more consumers going straight to food and drink producers themselves rather than supermarkets.

‘We’ve seen people eating and drinking healthier, taking more vitamins and doing more home workouts, as well as cooking from scratch and thinking about where they buy ingredients. This, combined with delivery disruption during the first lockdown, has caused a rise in consumers going straight to the food and drink producers, which we think will continue into the new year.’