Happy New Year!
It’s official, 2021 is here… time to put the past in the past and start with a fresh perspective. Easier said than done? Perhaps. It’s so tempting to imagine the economic and emotional turmoil of the last 12 months simply vanishing with the turn of a calendar page. In truth, we’re not out of the woods yet, but there is certainly much to be positive about. And valuable lessons learned during the pandemic are fuelling growth and optimism for the future.
In the last few weeks, I’ve spoken with a wealth of business executives, municipal leaders, association representatives, and entrepreneurs throughout North America and recognized a common thread coming through our conversations. Let’s call it the “silver lining legacy” of 2020. The feeling across the board that good things have emerged from the chaos – surprising growth has occurred in manufacturing, logistics, ecommerce, technology, financial, healthcare, and construction sectors. The pivot to virtual meetings and a remote workforce hasn’t slowed business down; in many cases it has created efficiencies, cost-savings, better communication, and consumer confidence that, yes, we are able to adapt and conquer. And for every small business that’s struggling, there are others – as evidenced by the credit unions we’re featuring – who are stepping up and asking, “How can we help?”
It’s so rewarding for us at Business View to be able to share those tales of teamwork and tenacity. Of empathy, creativity, and just plain hard work. In fact, there is so much to report on that our latest two North American issues, December and January, are our biggest ever. An amazing milestone for our entire BVM crew! And beginning this month, we’re proud to announce a brand-new addition to our North America, Caribbean, and Oceania titles – Business View Civil and Municipal: A Focus on Economic Development in Global Communities.
When it comes to economic development, the challenges faced by cities, towns, counties, and municipalities are often similar but their solutions are far from generic. With our new monthly publication, we’ll be covering those innovative initiatives in sustainability, infrastructure, business attraction, downtown revitalization, climate change… and so much more. This premier issue of BV Civil and Municipal is a fascinating compendium of 19 in-depth community profiles from Winter Garden, Florida to Colton, California to Peachtree Corners, Georgia to historic Grimsby, Ontario. Much to discover, ponder, and be ‘wowed’ by.
So, as we head into this new year, let’s not be afraid to embrace the wisdom of uncertainty. By all means have a well-conceived strategy, a focus, a plan but when the inevitable stumbling blocks appear on the path, we know now that there will be a silver lining and we aren’t alone on the journey.
Be well my friends, and enjoy the read.
Editor in Chief
Lorie Lee Steiner
