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With the US election looming and global markets tiptoeing through uncertainty, there’s a growing sense (read: tightening knot in the stomach) that the future might arrive faster than we think.
In fact, by the time you read this, the future will already be here, with the White House painted a dazzling ‘brat green’ or Trumpkin orange… and, whisper it, the winner of the Channel Islands’ key ferry contract might even be confirmed at long last.
So the loose theme we adopted this month, ‘action today, prepare for tomorrow’ feels particularly apt – that is, unless you speak to our Unplugged interviewee (P18), former Director of Special Forces and Commander of the British Field Army, who will tell you it should have been ‘action yesterday’. When it comes to emerging global threats, there’s no room – or time – for complacency, he argues. Whether a virus transferred through sniffles or ‘rogue code’, you can be struck down at any moment.
Of course, not all sectors feel impact of global events like a slap in the face (unless it’s an almighty strike like covid) – for others, it arrives via ripples. And there are always ripples – sometimes reaching the most surprising of areas.
While you’ll often find this column harping on about the ‘Bean drain’, we turn our focus this month to the obstacles proving a drain on the enterprises keeping working islanders topped up with coffee beans – and why such beverage businesses are so important to our economy, community and cultural fabric (P4).
Back to the ‘future’ theme… this edition also features an array of insights from finance experts on managing personal wealth for long-term success. We hear why “time trumps timing when investing” (P32), find out how offshore has “come of age” when it comes to the African market (P44), and also learn about an innovative new personality-based tool capable of reassuring “someone who is worried about money running out that even if the markets crashed every year, they would still have enough” (Time Out, P34).
The island’s own future-shaping moment will be coming at the end of this month, when politicians sit down to thrash out the Budget for 2025 and beyond.
With so many conflicting views on how best to spend (and, very occasionally, save) taxpayers’ cash, it’s usually a feisty debate – but, with so few notes swirling around and departments taking a relatively even share of cuts to balance the books, maybe the Chief Minister’s ‘back to basics’ approach will mean more calm in the Chamber? Stay tuned to our online sister publication, Bailiwick Express, for all the latest updates throughout the month.
Anyway, before the annual pre-Christmas chaos begins, enjoy Connect.
