A new year starts with another lockdown.  Looking on the bright side, it gives us more time to engage in online learning, so I am clocking up the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) hours.  I am obliged to complete at least 10 hours a year to satisfy my accreditation scheme, ecmk.  I have found them to be supportive and helpful. They audit my work and make sure my EPC reports are accurate.  CPD fills in gaps in my knowledge and reinforces what I have already learned.

I have also had the opportunity to look at the administration side of running a small business.  Tax and HMRC is a little less of a mystery now and I have a better understanding of what I have to do and when.

Demand has dropped off a little during lockdown, of course, but the jobs are still coming in and I am able to work safely in unoccupied properties.  Lockdown is also an ideal time to take advantage of my vacant property check service, especially as landlords or vendors may not be allowed to travel from outside Pembrokeshire to check on their properties.

All over social media were posts saying good riddance to 2020, it was an awful year, the worst ever, 2021 must be better.  Sorry to burst the bubble, but 2021 is not guaranteed to be any better just because last year was so bad.  But was it though?  More time spent with the children, a deeper appreciation for nature, those of us lucky enough to have gardens were able to take advantage of an amazing spring and summer.  It was a time to stop and reflect, to take stock and learn new norms.

I cannot forget the fact that I started my business in 2020, another reason to be thankful.  There have been challenges along the way, and difficult times will lie ahead, I am sure.  It is a question of learning from the negatives and enjoying the positives.