The London 2012 website is steadily counting down the days to the London Olympics, and already the dissenters have started to grumble about the disruption it will cause.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber has gone so far as to say that he can foresee some theatres closing for the duration of the Games because (apart from for musicals) advance ticket sales are so low for this time of year.

I love the theatre so I must admit this piqued my interest as I thought it was a surprisingly defeatist comment.

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Welcome to the first Bev’s Blog of 2012. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very successful and prosperous New Year.

When looking ahead to a new year it is useful to start by reflecting back on the one that has just passed. 2011 was a tough year for many businesses. Week after week the financial pages listed businesses and brands that were facing difficulties. Too many saw the shadow of the receivers passing their threshold.

But there have been good news stories too (even though these don’t seem to be given as many column inches in the Press).

We are very proud of the many businesses that are thriving as part of the EBA network.

Companies that survive the current downturn will emerge stronger, leaner and fit for business. Past successes leave clues for the future, and difficult times do too.

I often talk about the similarities between entrepreneurs and professional athletes. Both groups of people remain focused on being READY for success.

They are Resilient, they create an Environment that supports success, they adopt a positive Attitude, they are Disciplined, and they know that the only person who can make things happen is You.

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