The strategist

Many of these should be common sense, but I can constantly amazed at how often these rules are foolishly swept aside; and the results are clear to see in our industry today.

1) Consider carefully the lessons of the last 18 months!

2) Far from boom and bust being a thing of the past – as famously stated by Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister (who is now billed as the financial saviour of the western world) – it is still very much a reality.

3) Recognise the difference between this recession and previous ones. It came very fast and hit very hard.

4) Realise “green shoots” will not be determined solely by volume increases but fundamentally by rate increases.

5) Continue to keep a strong watch on your customer base and a tight hand on their respective credit facilities. Try to have no strings attached to the application of credit facilities in one location; they are not contingent upon what happens elsewhere.

6) Expect some shipping line failures if free market forces are allowed to reign.

7) Look for the new shipping lines based on the low cost airline model.

8) Plan and analyse extensively if you are considering expansion – spending on this will avoid expensive mistakes.

9) If you are looking for investors recognise you are part of a crowd chasing a limited resource and package your investment opportunity to generate maximum interest.

10) Always think before you act!