Blue Monday? No such thing

Welcome to my first blog of 2014 and  wishing all B&C readers a very happy and prosperous New Year!

If like me, you overindulged over Christmas & New Year and are now dieting and trying to lose weight, then I salute you and good luck with your endeavours. 2014, for me anyway, is all about change and achieving my goals, both personally and in business.

 With a hugely successful year behind us, it is time to look forward to 2014, which by all accounts I believe will be the best year yet in the bridging sector, with new lenders still joining the market – one sure sign that this is a sector has far from peaked.

 At Brightstar, we were busy right up until we closed for Christmas and the New Year has also kicked-off really well with a whole range of enquiries passing across our new business desk. I expect growth especially in the development loan sector, with existing bridging funders looking to either move in to this space, or indeed, ‘sharpen their pencils’ with regards to their existing offering.  I also predict that that we will see more lenders looking to enter the commercial arena and competition to hot up in this area.

With so much to be excited about in the bridging sector, it made me laugh this morning whilst driving in to work and listening to the radio report about so called 'Blue Monday' - supposedly the most depressing day of the year. For many, the first working day back at work after Christmas and New Year. If the prospect of returning to work is that much of a depressing thought, then I'd suggest a career change. The radio presenters then moved on to blame the weather. Yes - the weather is atrocious, with gale force winds and heavy rain (for anyone who's home has been affected by the recent flooding, I feel for you), but we live in the UK.. in the winter it is cold and it rains a lot. Get used to it. They then moved on to talk about debt and over-spending at Christmas and finally on to divorce and marital problems.  I’m not sure how this is measured and quantified. There was mention of the amount of negative tweets on Twitter, compared to any other Monday morning, when people are equally as tired, it is cold and wet outside and you are reluctant to get out of bed. At least then it was based on the exact science of Twitter – so it must be true, right? Or is that if it’s on Facebook it must be true? Oh no, if we read it in the paper or watch it on the evening news, then it must be true, right?

Blue Monday? Not over here it isn’t. We can all find reason to complain and moan. It is one of the things that makes us British, along with talking about the weather, our fascination with property prices, DIY on a Sunday and a nice cup of tea to sooth away all of the days stresses. However, if like me you believe that you make your own luck, then I say “let us all be lucky and make 2014 our best year yet in both business and at home. Happy New Year everyone.

By Kit Thompson